


Pokemon Bet: The Lost World

by Automatonation



Series: Pokemon Bet [2]
Category: Parahumans Series - Wildbow, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Gen, Legendary Pokemon are ludicrous, Post-Apocalypse, Reasonable Pokemon Biology, lost in the rainforest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-28
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:27:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 36,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22452679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Automatonation/pseuds/Automatonation
Summary: Hurled half-way across the globe by a mysterious Pokemon, Rachel has to survive in the wild, help support her partner and her Pokemon Team, and find a way to civilization, all while trying to figure out why she was sent to the Amazon in the first place and trying to survive hostile dinosaur Pokemon.  Why can't things ever be easy?This is a non-voting archive of an active quest, located on Sufficient Velocity. If you like the story, please pop over and join in here: https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/pokemon-bet-the-lost-world.55871/
Series: Pokemon Bet [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1615597
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

You fall through space and infinite colors, spiraling and twisting in a vortex of indescribable sensation, before plunging through a pool of absolute blackness. When you emerge, it's in mid-air, and your stomach lurches before you land face down in loam and wet leaves. The hot, humid air hits you like a brick, and you push yourself up, before Angelica lands on your back, knocking the breath out of you. She scrambles off, and you can hear the other members of your team landing. As you push yourself to your feet, Taylor appears with a pop, tilted off-center, leaving her scrambling to keep her feet, nearly landing on the dazed form of Raid, her Ivysaur.  
  
“What the hell was that?” You sputter, checking on your team. Churchill is looking around nervously, chewing his cigar stick, brushing mud off his wooden armor, while Tully picks leaves out of his fur and Gaius pushes himself out of a hole in the ground with a muted grumble. Angelica licks your hand. She's worried. Hell, you're worried.  
  
“I don't know!” Taylor whispers, glancing around nervously.  
  
< _We're not in Brock Town anymore._ > Tully states. He's right. You're in a tiny clearing in the heart of what could only be a rain forest, trees and vines towering on all sides, with faint sunlight trickling down from gaps in the canopy overhead. Blue, green, and red monkeys chase each other through vines and branches, and as you watch in a mix of wonder and terror, a massive Seviper coiled around a branch slashes out with a bladed tail at a swooping Hawlucha, forcing the masked Pokemon to roll in mid-air with a screech of mockery to dodge the slash of purple. There's life everywhere, all fighting and roiling in a mad, continuous battle for survival.  
  
“The fuck.” You whisper.  
  
“That fucking Pokemon.” Taylor spits. “What the fuck does 'You'll Do.' mean?”  
  
“That we can do something it wants done?” You reply, and your partner glares at you for a moment, before returning her attention to the trees.  
  
“Do you know where we are?” She asks quietly. Her voice is starting to shake.  
  
You look around again. Towering trees, vines, exotic animals, humid, muggy air. Yep, this is a rainforest. “The Amazon?” Another look. “Maybe the Congo?” You flip up the screen on your Pokepedia, and press the emergency call button. “Oh. Shit.”  
  
“What now?” Taylor is starting to hyperventilate, and Arwen is obviously close behind.  
  
“We're out of range of the PRT call towers.”  
  
“Well, fucking duh!” Taylor shrieks, and the buzz of the rainforest goes silent.  
  
Tully, Churchill, Angelica, and Gaius move into formation around you protectively. “Taylor, I'm going to need you to take some deep breaths.” You state coolly, forcing yourself to remain calm. Panic later, Rachel. Survive now. “We are deep in wild territory, with no way I can think of that anyone could possibly know where we are.” You take a deep breath. “The only way we survive is if we don't panic and work together.”  
  
Taylor closes her eyes, mutters inaudibly to herself, then opens them again, her expression cold. “I'm making myself a pink leather handbag when we get back.”  
  
You snarl in agreement. “Angelica needs a new collar, too.” The forest seems to be resuming its activity, but you feel like you're being watched…  
  
“We need shelter, first.” Taylor states. You look around. It's impossible to see more than a couple of dozen yards through the thick trees and brush, but… the ground seems to slope downhill, off to what turns out to be the southwest when you pull out a compass. And to the northeast, there seems to be a bit of a game path leading away from the clearing where you landed, although it winds through the trees in such a way that you can't quite tell where it leads.  
  
“We have our tents and survival gear, at least.” You mention. “And I got some repellant stakes.”  
  
“I did too.” She brushes her fingers over the Capsules at her waist with a grimace. “And I have four empty Capsules.”  
  
You nod. “Me too. Let's be honest, we're going to be looking to kill, not capture, unless a Pokemon is so impossibly useful that we have to try and tame it.”  
  
“Or if we want to slaughter it when it's fresh, and don't want to have to carry the remains back to camp.” Taylor states.  
  
“Or that, yes.” Can't shy away from it, your rations will only last so long. You'll worry about her new bloodthirsty side later. There's a rumble in the distance, and for a moment you think it's thunder, but then it happens again, and again. Footsteps, massive ones. “Tully, can you sense what's making that sound?”  
  
< _No. Too much life around._ > Tully replies with a gruff bark.  
  
“I think it's coming from downslope.” Taylor adds. “And I think the trees may thin a little in that direction.”  
  
“I don't want to go towards what sound like massive footsteps, Taylor.”  
  
She grimaces. “Oh. The path then?”  
  
“Yeah. We're too exposed, here.”  
  
The game trail is narrow, twisting and turning between trees, around brush and hanging vines, and through undergrowth. You're not quite sure what made it, but it's narrow enough that you have to have Gaius go ahead, slashing his way with his razor sharp claws to widen the path enough to use. Fuck conservation and hiding your trail, you want to make sure you can find your way in a pinch.  
  
The forest is oppressively hot, and before long you've shucked and stored your heavy jacket in the backpack. There's no way in hell you're taking off your armor, though. Fortunately, the Ariados silk is light enough that you're not suffering too much, but you're sweating like a pig under the leather plates on your torso. Taylor, wearing some Swampert leather armor from the TC store, is faring far worse, and eventually takes the jacket off, tying it around her waist and rolling up the long sleeves of her undershirt. You walk for over an hour, and soon notice that you're heading uphill. Angelica roasts dozens of Bug-types that drop in – Venipede, Yanma, Wurmple, and more – but otherwise, you're unmolested. It has you on edge.  
  
Eventually, the trees grow larger and further apart, and you finally spot a sheer, rocky cliff, covered with vines and moss, thin trees growing off outcrops of rock higher up. At the top, a lone tree towers high overhead, standing far above any of the other trees nearby, the powerful roots dug deep into the stone and soil at the top of the cliff. Gaius rumbles happily as he slashes a final sapling, adding it to the bundle of green wood he's carrying, before laying the pile of brush at the base of the cliff. In a flash, Churchill clambers up the cliff, then up the tree. You can see him at the top, standing on a branch, peering off in all directions, until finally he clambers down.  
  
“What did you see?”  
  
{Big river} He signs, pointing off to the southwest. {Clearing by river, big Pokemon.}  
  
“What kind?” Taylor asks.  
  
{Too far, don't know. Tall, long necks.} Churchill shrugs. {Up cliff, clearing in trees, small lake and stream.} He gestures off to the north. {Small waterfall that way.}  
  
“At least they aren't nearby.” You state, and let yourself slump down at the base of the cliff. Tully and Angelica sit on either side of you, and the iron grip that you held yourself in, since the clearing, slips a little. You feel the panic start to set in, and choke it back. Not here, not yet. Taylor is counting on you. Your team is counting on you. You grit your teeth. The wetness on your cheeks is sweat. Nothing more.  
  
“Gaius.” The Aggron turns to you, from where he had picked a rock off the cliff and started chewing it contemplatively. “Can you dig us out a cave?”  
  
“Why, we have tents?” Taylor asks, as the Aggron nods slowly and starts scooping out large chunks of rock from the cliff face.  
  
“I don't want to be out in the open.” You reply. “I feel like we're being watched.”  
  
“You want to settle down here?”  
  
“For right now, as a defensible base camp, near water but not too close? Yeah, absolutely.” You glance at the sky. Here, you can see it, and the anemic cloud cover is already threatening to thicken. “We don't know where we are, Taylor. Not a fucking clue. It feels like summer, so we're below the equator, and daytime, so I think we're in the Amazon, since it would be night time in the Congo, but I can't fucking remember the names of any other rainforests, and the Amazon is the biggest rainforest in the world. We could be anywhere in tens of thousands of square miles.”  
  
Taylor slumps down beside you. “What are we gonna do?”  
  
“Survive.”  
  
The two of you sit in silence for only a few seconds, before your quiet is broken by a harsh shriek and the flap of leathery wings. A massive slate grey pokemon swoops out of the air, aiming for your party, soaring on bat-like wings. Angelica leaps forward, spewing black flame in a long jet from her mouth, and the Pokemon pulls up, shrieking, as the flames start burning on its chest, only to tumble as a hurled rock spike from Gaius shears a bowling-ball sized hole through a wing membrane. In a flash, Tully is on the Pokemon's back, and with a sharp blow from a glowing blue fist, he snaps its neck. You push yourself to your feet.  
  
“Was that...” Taylor mutters. “A pterodactyl?”  
  
“Not quite. Like a Pokemon version.” The name flits into your mind. “Aerodactyl.” You shake off the alien sensation. It's been known to happen when new Pokemon are discovered, from the little research you've done. In the distance, you hear an echoing, bugling roar, and your heart sinks. Something tells you that this isn't the only dinosaur Pokemon in the area.  
  
“What have we gotten ourselves into?”  
  
“A fucking mess.” You reply. Overhead, there's a rustle of bushes, and a reptilian head, covered with a dome of armored bone, pokes out of the bushes at the top of the cliff. The dinosaur – Cranidos, a quiet voice whispers – chirps in surprise, then retreats, trilling and bleating a distress call. “And now we're going to have company.” You groan.  
  
Tully looks up at the cliff. < _They're coming. Seven?_ > His sensory lobes glow and twitch. < _Yes. Two adults, five young._ > His paws clench. Moments later, a pair of larger domed heads poke out of the bush, closely followed by the smaller heads, all in a row. You have to suppress a nervous giggle – the smaller Cranidos poke their heads out in order, and it strikes you as oddly funny. With a snarl, the pair of Rampardos leap down the cliff side, clambering nimbly from rock to rock. They're as tall as you are, and easily eight to ten feet long from nose to tail. The pair of dinosaur Pokemon approach you slowly, hissing menacingly, tails lashing and claws twitching. You glance up at the line of Cranidos, then back to the adults in front of you. They may just be trying to protect their young… Or they may be trying to just kill you for food, you can't tell.  
  



	2. Chapter 2

You watch the Rampardos approaching slowly, the sun glinting off the white horns surrounding the dome of solid bone on their heads, and bite your lip in thought… “Tully, see if you can communicate with them. We mean them no harm.”  
  
Tully glances at you, then steps forward. He's easily a head shorter than the dinosaur-like Pokemon, and far ligher. < _Stop!_ > the Lucario yips, raising a paw. The closer Rampardos tosses its head angrily and takes another step forward. < _We are not here to hurt you!_ > Tully insists, and the pair Rampardos bleat in unison, lowering their heads, their bony sculls glowing with energy.   
  
In a pair of powerful steps, Gaius steps in front of the Lucario, lowering his head in a matching gesture, his front claw dropping to the ground in a powerful three-point stance. He tosses his horned head with a metallic bellow, and the Rampardos stop cold. This, it seems, is something they understand. The Rampardos on the right, which you now see has a set of long, jagged claw marks on its flank, bleats angrily and charges Gaius, his head glowing white with concentrated energy. Your loyal Aggron lowers his head, and takes the blow on the crown of his armored skull with the sound of a gong and a flare of battling energies. Angelica takes a step forward, but you put a hand on her collar. You think you know what Gaius is doing.   
  
With a flare of steely light, Gaius tosses the Rampardos back, and it lands heavily on its side, wheezing. The dome of smooth bone on its head has a visible dent from the collision, although it's little more than a dimple. Its skull must be strong, to take one of Gaius's Iron Skull attacks with that little damage. Still, the Rampardos is winded. Gaius looks at the other Rampardos and bugles tauntingly, and it lunges forward with an identical attack, only to meet with your Aggron's swinging tail, glowing with Steel-type energy, which sends it flying into the cliff face with a harsh thud.  
  
By your side, Taylor leans closer to your ear. “He's showing dominance, claiming this as his territory.” She whispers.  
  
“I know.” You reply softly. The scarred Rampardos is gingerly getting to his feet, but doesn't seem inclined to attack. You carefully avoid looking at the cluster of Cranidos chattering nervously on the cliff overhead – you don't want to give it reason to attack again.  
  
Gaius rumbles warningly, low in his throat, and the Rampardos lowers his head in submission, stepping backwards, while the other extracts itself from the cliff with a clatter of loose rocks. It's visibly bruised and takes an angry step towards the Aggron, but a glare from Gaius's cold blue eye results in it, too, lowering its head submissively. Turning as one, the pair of dinosaurs turn tail and flee along the cliff, the gaggle of Cranidos leaping down from rock to rock on the cliff face to join them. In moments, they disappear from sight, into the trees.  
  
You let yourself relax, slightly. “Good job, Gaius.” The Aggron rumbles happily, and returns to his excavation, occasionally nibbling on one of the rocks he gouges out of the cliff face. “Taylor, your thoughts?”  
  
The brunette grimaces, glancing at the sky, which is growing overcast rapidly. “I think you have the right idea, bunkering down for the night. Tomorrow...” She sighs. “I don't know.”  
  
“Safety and supplies first, then escape.” You reply, and Taylor nods. “How's Arwen's teleportation?”  
  
“She's not rated for passengers and is limited to line of sight. The Ralts line usually can't handle additional people until they fully evolve.” Taylor rubs at her temples with her fingertips. “And while Nibbler is a Gabite, he only just evolved from Gible, and it's likely to be a while before he goes to Garchomp and is able to take flight training.”  
  
“Iris isn't ready for flight either...” You mutter, then sigh. “Let's face it, we're in this for the long haul.”  
  
“Yeah.” Taylor looks down, her hair falling in front of her eyes. “We're fucked.”  
  
Some part of you agrees, but you shove that thought to the back of your mind. “We're tough bitches. We're gonna make it out of here, if we have to walk all the way home.”   
  
Churchill slams his fist into an open palm in agreement. {We will survive. We will fight. We will conquer!} He signs, grinning around his cigar, and Tully yips in wordless agreement.  
  
Thunder rolls, and you glance up at the overcast sky, then back to the cave Gaius is excavating. He's already about six feet deep in the cliff face, the carved area sporting a curved roof just tall enough to let him stand to his full eight foot height. The amount of rubble and stone he's pulling out is astounding. “Let's set up a base camp, at least for tonight, before dark. We'll explore more in the morning.”  
  
You get to work, moving stones into a loose perimeter fence with Tully and Churchill's assistance. It's nothing that would actually impede anything, but it at least helps get the rubble out of the entrance. Arwen chips in some with her telekinesis, but Taylor mostly has her focus on keeping her senses open for hostile Pokemon. By the time it starts raining, a heavy downpour of fat raindrops that hit like rubber bullets, you have a fairly tolerable shelter dug into the side of the cliff, with a narrow, dog-legged entrance tunnel that opens up into a cavern large enough for your tents to sit, side by side. It's pitch black in there, and a little stifling from the humidity, but you crack a glowstick – which you had found tucked away in your medical kit – giving you at least some faint, green-tinted light to set up your tent.  
  
Tully drags the body of the Aerodactyl into the cave, and after a little trial and error, you manage to get Mab to create enough snow that you can pack it into a small alcove to preserve for tomorrow – it's raining too hard to clean it outside, and already it seems to be getting late in the day. Gaius sits, resting his weight on his sturdy tail in the entrance, watching the rain, Angelica by his side. You walk up behind him and put a hand on his armored shoulder. “You've been a big help today, Gaius.”  
  
The Aggron rumbles softly, still watching the rain.   
  
You drop down to a sitting position between your Pokemon, reveling in the heat emanating from Angelica's side. “I've asked all my other Pokemon what they want out of life. I'm sorry I didn't realize that you were aware earlier, but now, I guess it's your turn.” You scratch Angelica between the horns. “What do you want to do?”  
  
Gaius turns his head slightly, regarding you with one ice-blue eye. His jaw isn't really configured for a smile, but… You get the impression that he's smiling contentedly. The Aggron shrugs.  
  
“That's not helpful.” You deadpan, and Angelica rolls her eyes, resting her head on your thigh. Gaius rumbles gently, and this time you are certain it's a laugh. He pats the stone wall of the tunnel beside him, and you see thin cracks, which you had initially overlooked, dancing and splitting in delicate fractals, before settling into a complicated abstract image. As your eyes focus on the mess of intricate cracks, the image of an old tree, split by lightning, but still living and growing, seems to appear out of the lines. “Wow...” You murmur. “That's beautiful.”  
  
Gaius bobs his head in thanks, and then delicately rests his clawed hand – which could easily pluck snip off your head between two iron claws – on your shoulder. A wave of the other claw indicates the view before you, the rain pouring down over the Amazon, water dancing and scattering over green leaves, the calls of birds and shrieks of Pokemon muted, but still present. You've never seen anything like this before in your life, and for all the uncertainty of your current position, and the terror that still bubbles under the surface, it's breathtaking. You smile, honestly, and feel that terror ebb a little. “Thanks, Gaius.” The Aggron nods, and together, you sit and watch the rain.  
  
Thirty minutes later, you hear a long, loud howl, rising from beyond the cliffs above you, singing a wordless song of pain and loss, longing bleeding through each fluid, musical note. The howl fades, echoing into the distance, but some fragment, some tiny splinter of emotion sticks with you. If you can… You want to find out what made that call.  
  
“What was that?” Taylor asks from behind you. You turn, and in the dim light, you see that her eyes are red. She's been crying.   
  
“I don't know. Beautiful. Lonely.”  
  
Taylor hums noncommittally, but says nothing further. As the sun sets, casting red highlights through gray clouds, you occupy yourself with housekeeping – running an inventory on your gear and supplies, eating one of your limited MREs, and cursing yourself for not packing more equipment. In the end, you go to bed early, once the light of the glowstick starts to die. In the dark, Churchill stands watch in the entry to your little cave, Angelica and Gaius slumbering behind him.   
  
You lie awake, watching the greenish light gradually die, ignoring the sounds of Taylor's muffled sobs. Ignoring the trail of tears down your cheeks as you finally let the situation overwhelm you. That _fucking_ pink cat thing. What the hell did it want with you? What could you possibly do, lost here in the fucking rainforest?   
  
**You'll do.**  
  
Even now in your memory, the words still seem graven on the world, a statement of grudging adequacy writ into the fabric of the universe. It's almost funny, like some cosmic joke at your expense.   
  
You knew there was a reason you aren't a cat person.  
  
Still… You're here. That's not likely to change. You have your team – your family. You have Taylor, one of your closest friends. You have food, shelter, and a source of knowledge on how to get more, although you will need to adapt some of it for a vastly different biome.  
  
In the end… You're gonna survive. Gonna endure. Out of spite, if nothing else.  
  
Tears dry, and you drift off to sleep in the pitch black cave.  
  
Tomorrow is a new day.


	3. Chapter 3

The morning dawned gray and humid, with faint light filtering through an overcast sky. At least the rain let up overnight. Every few minutes, there was a light mist, just enough to make things a little slick and keep the humidity up. Still, with help from Angelica, you're able to get a small fire started outside the cave Gaius dug, while Taylor guts, cleans, and dresses the Aerodactyl. There's almost no fat on it, and the muscle is dense and rubbery, but she cuts one of the breast muscles into thin slices that fry up in a skillet she packed, the sizzle and smell of cooking meat setting your mouth to watering. A little salt and pepper, and it's… Well, it's meat, and you don't get that too often, back in Brock Town. A bit chewy, an odd muddy taste, but overall, it's palatable.   
  
“Thanks, Taylor.” You say, before licking the last of the juice off your fingers. Tully and Angelica carefully nibble the meat off the drumsticks – Tully had requested his raw, but Angelica cooked hers with a carefully controlled stream of flame – as Gaius crunches his way through the bones and entrails that your friend had discarded. Now, she's hanging the long, broad flaps of leathery skin on a makeshift rack, along with stringy sinew and some of the long, thin wing and finger bones.  
  
“Dad taught me a bit of field dressing and meat preparation, after Mom...” Taylor trails off for a moment, before recovering. “He learned from Granda, who was a hunter before the Event. I never met him, but his lessons helped Dad survive, and Dad wanted to make sure they were passed down.”  
  
“That's really great...” You say, brutally suppressing the pang of jealousy at Taylor's family and heritage. You don't really remember your parents much. “It should help us survive, too.”  
  
“Yeah.” Taylor sighs, glancing around your little camp. There's really not much room, about twenty to thirty feet of clearish space between the treeline and the cliff, with vines, roots, and overgrown plants creating a dense tangle of growth, underneath spreading branches. You cleared enough ground for a small fire, and there is sky visible overhead through the canopy. There are a lot of thinner trees, either saplings or smaller species, interspaced with the massive forest giants, but it should give you plenty of building material, if you're willing to work in wood. “I guess we're setting up here as a base camp?”  
  
“That was my thought. Better to have a defensible position and a safe place to sleep right now while we get our bearings.”  
  
“Right.” Taylor's fingers brush over the Capsules at her waist, her brow furrowed in thought. “You want to work on improving the camp, while I try and find the waterfall Churchill mentioned?” She grimaces. “Other than Arwen, my Pokemon aren't really able to help with construction.”   
  
“Sure. Keep an eye out for things we may need.” You fish out your canteen and take a sip of the water that's left from Brock Town. “Churchill, do you think you can make some jugs or buckets for water?”  
  
Churchill nods sharply, and after about fifteen minutes of experimentation, the Grovyle gives Taylor a pair of large jugs, shaped out of wafer-thin wood with reinforced ribs and corks for their broad mouths. You think they should hold about a gallon and a half, each, enough to last you a day or so.  
  
In a flash of red light, Taylor summons Raid, and nestles the jugs on either side of the bud on her back, greenish-brown vines winding into place and looping through their handles. Another red flash, and Arwen appears, the Kirlia obviously unhappy about the rough terrain. {wet wet hot too many Bugs.} she complains.   
  
“Well, that's what Bane and Nibbler are for.” Taylor says. “Keep up a good lookout, and we should be fine.”  
  
{fine fine} Arwen grumbles, crossing her arms and floating into the air, so she doesn't have to pick her way through the dense plant life on the ground.  
  
Taylor turns to look at you, and you nod. “Be safe.”  
  
“I will.” She looks away quickly, and starts picking her way north along the cliff. You watch her go, then summon your full team. “Churchill, Tully. We need to clear a working area and set up a barricade around it. Think you're up for some lumber work?”  
  
Tully grins. < _What Fighting-type can resist punching logs?_ > he asks, and you chuckle.   
  
“That's the spirit. Angelica, you have Mab and Brutus. Guard dog duty.” Angelica barks happily, and promptly plops down, practically on top of the dwindling cook fire, with a good view of the forest around you. Mab curls up a little ways away after glancing at the Houndoom, her eyes peering between two of her fluffy white tails. Brutus, on the other hand, digs himself into a little pit, settling neck deep, blowing bubbles happily to himself.   
  
“I guess that works.” Iris coils over your shoulders, and you scratch her head, right behind one of her finned ears. “You want to help me and Gaius with some earthmoving?” You don't think she understands you, but she leans into your scratching. The Dratini, despite being six feet long and thickly built, is practically weightless, some function of whatever allows her to swim through the air.   
  
“Gaius, we're going to see if we can set up a fireplace inside the cave, with a chimney up the outside.” The Aggron tilts his head to the side in thought, then nods slowly. “You used energy to carve on the walls, can you do that with larger shapes?” Gaius nods again, more confidently. “Then let's get started.”  
  
  
  
Fortunately, the interior of your bedroom cave has about three feet of stone between the side wall of the sleeping area and the outside. It only takes Gaius a few minutes to hollow out a fire pit and hearth, partially sunken into the side of the wall, with grates to allow airflow under the wood. Punching a chimney up and out through the stone to disperse smoke along the top of the cliff takes a little more time, and tuning the draft so that smoke goes up the chimney is a bit of a pain, but by the time the sun is high in the air, you have a roaring fire going in the hearth. The flickering yellow and orange light makes the cave feel a lot more homey. Gaius is squatting by by the fire, scratching patterns into the stone with his claws, so with a pat on his back and a murmur of thanks, you go back outside to check on your other Pokemon.  
  
Tully and Churchill are having a blast, and already there's a large stack of felled lumber of various sizes, cut or molded into logs by Churchill's skill, and Acey is flitting around, picking up smaller sticks with telekinesis. Brutus seems to be having a good time as well, hauling large branches and roots around under Tully's directions. You pace out the perimeter of the expanded clearing, then whistle for your Pokemon to gather. Gaius emerges from your little cliff-side home, and Angelica hops from her spot by the fire, while the non-sapient Pokemon gather curiously. “Ok, that looks great, thanks! Let's start on building a barricade.” Rolling up your sleeves, you get to work.   
  
You're about halfway through setting up a log and Rock Spike palisade when Brutus, with a confused _blup_ , coughs up a basketball-sized bubble of compressed water that explodes when it hits a recently erected post, knocking it out of the ground and nearly braining Angelica. The Houndoom rounds on the Marshtomp with a furious growl, but shakes her head and subsides, giving him a dirty look. Letting Tully, Churchill, and Gaius take over the construction, you pull Brutus aside and manage to get him to spit up the explosive bubbles on command – and stop spitting them at random. They're rather similar to the froth that Sarah's Lotad could spew, but tend to be larger and have more powerful blasts. You decide to consider the move well learned when Brutus knocks a passing butterfly Pokemon out of the air with one well-aimed shot, the high-pressure water ripping holes in its delicate wings.  
  
Unfortunately, you don't have a clue how to prepare an oversized butterfly for dinner, so you just let Brutus chew on it, as a reward for his good work. Munching on a piece of fruit that Churchill had found for you, you look to the north. Taylor has been gone for a few hours now.   
  
“Church, how far away was the waterfall?”  
  
{Not far.} He signs, then scratches at his forearm, at the base of his leafblades. {Short walk. She's gone too long.}  
  
“Yeah, that's what I thought. Ok, round up. We're going to go look for her.” You glance around the barrier, a rough fence of stone spikes and stout logs, with overlapping walls instead of gates located on the north and south side of the square enclosure. Yeah, this will do, for now. You take a moment to make sure the fire inside the cave is extinguished, then recall Acey, Iris, Brutus, and Mab to their capsules. Your gut says something is wrong…  
  
You hurry off to the north, picking your way under vines and over roots, Angelica trotting by your side. Sure enough, you haven't been walking for more than about twenty minutes before you can faintly hear the waterfall. It's not a particularly loud fall, more a constant trickle and babble, and it's only a few more minutes until you come to the edge of a broad stream. The waterfall dances and tumbles over rocks, carving out a channel in the cliff, but your eyes are only for the scene on the opposite side of the stream, across a path of rough stepping stones.  
  
There, lying in a clearing on the bank of the stream, cushioned by thick grass, lies your partner, limbs sprawled aimlessly, her eyes clenched tight. Clustered around her in a tight circle are a dozen squat, round Pokemon, their yellow and brown fur matted with mud and filth. They're swaying back and forth, droning resonantly through their short trunks. You recognize these Pokemon. Drowzee. The PRT had made sure every trainer knew about them. The gluttonous Psychic Pokemon fed on the dreams and energy of sleeping victims, and were notoriously hard to train. Idly, you spot Arwen and Raid, slumbering at the base of the cliff.   
  
Now, let's hope that there's not…  
  
 _Fuck._  
  
From behind the circle of Drowzee surrounding your friend, a pair of stocky, long nosed Pokemon step from between the trees, their white manes gleaming brightly in the mid-afternoon light. Hypno. The one on the left looks across the stream and meets your eye. He, and you are uncomfortable with just how obviously male he is, snarls, and snaps his fingers. In a flash of blue light, a string with a floating weight, glowing with energy, appears in his hand.


	4. Chapter 4

“Angelica, Churchill, Kill the Hypno, ASAP!” You bark, and your Pokemon leap into action. Angelica lunges across the stream, her body wreathed and propelled by the black wisps of Pursuit. As the first Hypno wheels to face her, the second Hypno snaps her fingers, making the Drowzee look up from their psychic feast. Their sleepy eyes flicker with faint teal light, until each pair of eyes is glowing, pulsing in unison. Churchill disappears in a blur of orange. “Gaius, you're on defense. Tully, be ready to extract Taylor, whenever you can.” Your hand ghosts to the Capsules at your waist, but you hesitate. Not yet.   
  
In a flash of black jaws, Angelica snaps at the male Hypno, only for him to sway out of the way, swinging his ring pendant to slice at her throat. The glowing ring glances off her bony armor without a scratch, and the Hypno's eyes go wide, just in time to catch Hellfire in the face. He _screams_ , the shriek of agony echoing through your ears and into your mind, and you can see the black fire scorching flesh away from bone as he collapses. Another snap of black jaws, and the Psychic Pokemon's life is snuffed out.   
  
With a howl of rage and a flash of blue light, a ring-shaped pendant appears in the female Hypno's hand, and she takes a step forward, only to spin and lash out as Churchill appears behind her. Your Grovyle catches the strike on his wrist-blade, glowing with green energy, but the razor-sharp edge of the ring bites deeply into the blade, and with her free hand, the Hypno slams a glowing orb of energy into Churchill's wooden armor, knocking him back. Angelica moves to assist, but the herd of Drowzee intercept her.  
  
“Tully, get Taylor out of there!” You snap, as the Drowzee break their formation around your friend, but the Lucario is already moving.  
  
< _On it!_ > Tully barks as he skips across the stream, backhanding a Drowzee with a paw glowing with Aura and leaving a deep gouge in its fat belly. With a lunge, he scoops up Taylor and throws her over his shoulder, only for half the Drowzee to surround him.   
  
You grab a capsule, and pull out Acey, who appears in mid-air, hovering on her tail. “Acey, support Tully!” The Raichu chirrups, and with a snap of electricity, hurls a bolt of lightning at the nearest Drowzee. As the Psychic Pokemon collapses, twitching, Tully vaults through the opening and bolts back across the stream to deposit Taylor, still unconscious, at your feet. You glance back at the fray, and grit your teeth. The Drowzee are blocking Angelica from assisting Churchill, who is frantically dodging strikes from a hovering metal disc, easily a foot cross and limned in blue light, that keeps swooping in and out from his blind spots, while the Hypno lunges and slashes with a smaller pendant on a longer string. Three of the Drowzee are lying in smoking heaps, but they just keep dodging out of the way of Angelica's strikes – and with the position, she can't just use one of her larger fire attacks, for fear of hitting Churchill.  
  
“Gaius, Metal Shriek on the Drowzee! Angelica, back off!” As Angelica leaps away, Gaius howls, a cone of visibly distorted sound and energy exploding from his beaked jaw and slamming into the eight remaining Drowzee. They stumble and lurch, and as they turn as one to engage with Gaius, Acey moves in with a Thunder Wave, the bolts of electricity washing over them, sending them twitching to the ground. The Hypno turns and tries to flee, but with two leaping steps, Angelica slams into her, glowing black jaws snapping down like a bear trap on her left leg. Churchill lunges, and with a flick of a wrist, he slits the Hypno's throat down to her spine.  
  
Acey squeals, and with a crack of thunder, lightning drops out of the overcast sky into the huddled pile of Drowzee, sending them flying to lie in motionless, smoking heaps, fractal burns crawling over their yellow fur. The Raichu flips in mid-air with a squeak of victory, before darting over to Gaius to nuzzle against his cheek. Residual static pops and crackles, but the Aggron ignores it with a happy rumble. This close, you can feel Acey's emotions, a faint hint of joy and victory, which shifts into pleasure as Gaius scratches her gently with his steel claws.   
  
You kneel next to Taylor. Her eyes are still closed, but… You could swear that there's a faint glow coming from under her eyelids. Her face is twisted in a faint expression of pain and fear, and when you gently shake her shoulder, she doesn't respond, not even a whimper. “Tully, what's going on?”  
  
The Lucario kneels on Taylor's other side, his sensory lobes pulsing and twitching as his eyes narrow. < _She's having a nightmare._ > He growls. < _An artificial one, like her slumber, but..._ > He squeezes his eyes shut, deep in thought. < _Real fears, real traumas._ > The Lucario shakes his head and looks up at you. < _That's all I can sense from the song of her soul. I don't know how to wake her up._ >  
  
“Think Arwen could help her?” You ask, glancing over at the Kirlia, still slumbering by the base of the cliff. Idly, you note that Churchill and Angelica are busy executing any Drowzee left alive.  
  
Tully's ears flatten. < _Maybe._ > He gets to his feet and hops across the stream to squat next to Arwen. After shaking her gently, then more roughly, the Lucario pokes her in the side of the head with a paw glowing with his Aura, and the Kirlia awakens with a psychic shriek that rattles your brain.   
  
<Warning warning hate hunger evil hunger hate!> Arwen's eyes flash white, and Tully's nearly battered off his feet by a lime-green wave of telekinetic energy. Fortunately, the Kirlia seems to come to her senses. <Hungry mindeater all dead?> She asks, then appears next to Taylor with a pop of displaced air. <NONONO!> she whimpers. <WAKE WAKE, notsleep! Not dream!>  
  
“We got the Drowzee, but she won't wake up, Arwen.” You say softly, trying to keep your own mind calm. “Can you help her?”  
  
The Kirlia blinks at you, then turns back to Taylor. <sleep sleep sleep, much power, fought hard no chance.> She touches Taylor's temples gingerly. <bad bad bad dreams, hurts hurts, too much too much energy, bad bad Pokemon.>  
  
“So the Drowzee overloaded her with Psychic energy while they were trying to put her to sleep?” You ask.  
  
Arwen rolls her eyes at you, the little brat. <yes yes said that>  
  
“Can you help her?”  
  
The Kirlia pauses, thinking deeply, the crimson sensory horns poking out of her green hair flickering faintly. Tully rests a comforting paw on her back. <eat eat bad power, wake her up.> She finally ventures softly. <Not eat dreams. Long long time.>  
  
“Would calming her down help?” You ask, and Arwen nods slowly. “Ok, let's get her back to base, so we can make her as comfortable as possible. It takes only a couple of moments to find Raid's Capsule and return her for transportation, and Gaius grabs the four Drowzee that are most intact – waste not, want not, after all – and throws them over his shoulder. The remaining corpses are thrown into the stream and washed away by the current.   
  
With a flick of her hair, Arwen lifts Taylor into the air in a corona of lime-green light, then hops onto Angelica's back. You troop back to the enclosure, Tully and Churchill keeping an eye out for enemies, while Gaius and Angelica bear their loads. Acey flits and zooms around your little party, zipping in and out of trees, occasionally flickering out of sight in a burst of speed, only to return with fruit or nuts bobbing in her wake. You make good time, but alas, by the time you make it to your little compound, the clouds are drawing together and a miserable drizzle has started.   
  
Only taking the time to glance around to ensure that your gear is all where you left it – and realizing that you should have taken the time to secure everything a little better before you left – you have Arwen lay Taylor down on her bedroll inside the cave, while Tully brings in an armload of firewood for Angelica to light. Soon, a fire is crackling in the hearth, and you nestle the little metal teapot above the flame, so you can get some water boiling for tea. Arwen twiddles her delicate fingers together, skirt twitching nervously, as she watches Taylor sleep fitfully.   
  
“It's gonna be ok.” You state calmly, as Tully steps back into the cave, Acey hovering beside him. “We're all in this together.”   
  
< _We're ready._ > Tully yips softly. Acey floats over to you and nuzzles into your cheek, then settles down on Taylor's lap, radiating contentment and warmth. Arwen nods weakly, then kneels behind her trainer's head, placing her fingertips on her temples. Her horns glow, green light flickering around red keratin, until the energy flows down her slender arms and across Taylor's forehead. You settle down on Taylor's left, Tully on her right, and hold her hand gently, as the light of Arwen's power grow brighter and brighter, competing with the orange of the firelight.  
  
You lose track of time. At some point, Acey begins glowing a faint yellow that arcs and dances in playful sparks along Taylor's limbs, and Tully's cool blue aura balances it, pooling and spiraling above her heart. For your part, you hold her hand, and for lack of anything better to do, think of family, of the people that loved Taylor. Her steadfast father. Her compassionate, stubborn boyfriend. Aisha, who Taylor seemed to treat as a bratty sister. The people who would miss her, who depended on her.   
  
Faint blue light surges from behind Taylor's eyes, and Arwen snarls, her red eyes glinting. Her own power seems to lash out, and seize the residual traces of the Drowzee's power, draining it slowly, blue shifting to green, before flowing back into the Kirlia's fingers. Eventually, all the lights subside, until the only illumination is the orange of the firelight.  
Taylor's eyes flicker open. They dart around wildly, from Arwen to Tully to you, then down to Acey, still curled up on her chest. “Who died?” She slurs sleepily. “Was it me?”  
  
You don't bother suppressing the chuckle that erupts. “No, but you scared us a bit.”   
  
The brunette trainer gingerly sits up. “What happened? I found the waterfall, and the clearing was just… nice. It…” She frowns. “It didn't seem right, but I think I laid down?”  
  
“You ran afoul of a group of Drowzee.” You explain. “They overloaded your brain with Psychic energy and forced you to sleep, and were feeding on your nightmares.” It takes a moment to decide, but… best to bite the bullet. “There were Hypno there, but I came just as they were coming out of the woods. The Drowzee had you for hours, though.”  
  
Taylor blanches. “H-Hypno?”  
  
You grimace. “Yeah. If you don't remember anything...”  
  
“Then they didn't do anything really bad.” Taylor whispers. “'cause they like to make fresh trauma for their nightmares.”  
  
You nod. “It was a close call.”  
  
<scared scared scared sorry sorry missed you not dead not dead!> Arwen squeals, and tackles Taylor, sobbing. As your friend gingerly wraps her arms around her Pokemon, the Kirlia glows white, then grows until she's nearly as tall as her friend. When the light of evolution fades, the new Gardevoir clutches her trainer to her chest. <I am so sorry I failed you, I should have _sensed_ the trap.>  
  
Taylor pats Arwen's back with a smile. “I missed it too, Arwen, and you saved me afterwards.” She glances at you and her expression goes unreadable. “Guess I needed saving this time. Thanks.”  
  
You shrug. “We're in this together.” Groaning, you pull yourself out of the cross-legged position, and get to your feet. “You'd do the same.”   
  
“Yeah.” Taylor whispers, then repeats herself, more confidently. “Yeah, I would. Thanks, though.” Her mouth twists in a grimace. “Buddy system?”  
  
You nod. “Buddy system.” Stretching and twisting to un-kink your back, you walk out of the cave. “Anyway, want a Drowzee steak?”  
  
A vicious smirk grows on Taylor's face. “Fuck yes.”


	5. Chapter 5

For all that you're lost in the Amazon Rainforest, thousands of miles from home, with no hope of rescue, there's something about building survival equipment with your own two hands that you find appealing. Building a nice outdoor stove out of stones and rubble that Gaius pulled out of the cave, mortared with clay mixed with rainwater, is satisfying in a way that you find hard to quantify. Maybe it's the challenge of designing a stone rack and grill that will give you enough space to cook for two humans and fourteen Pokemon with varying dietary requirements, or perhaps it's just giving yourself the illusion of progress of some kind, while keeping your hands busy. Either way, when you finish the stone structure, one side against the cliff, tapping into the existing chimney for the living quarters, you wipe your brow with a smile.   
  
A short distance away, Taylor, with some assistance in wood-shaping from Raid and Churchill, has put together a broad, rectangular smoking rack over a low, smoldering fire. Standing at about six feet high, the rack is shaped out of green wood and cross-bracing so that it can be easily set over a fire pit or moved out of the way. About four feet up is a lose weave of green branches to rest the meat for smoking, and over that are more places to hang thin strips, skewered on thin sticks, and broad jungle leaves wrap all the way around to trap the smoke with the meat. As you glance over, Taylor lays the last thin strip of Drowzee meat on the rack. The Psychic Pokemon had meat that was similar in consistency to beef, or at least that's what Taylor said, and she had marinated it in the mixed pulp from several of the fruit that Acey had found. After careful sampling, Taylor mashed and boiled the pulp of several odd peach-like fruit with the meat of some spicy nuts, creating a sweet, slightly spicy marinate that she applied to the thin strips of meat. With luck, the resulting jerky would not only be preserved, so it wouldn't go bad, but tasty and last long enough to keep your little group fed for a few days.  
  
Hours later, after some consultation with Taylor and several false starts, you watch Arwen telekinetically lower the thatched leaf roof onto a narrow outhouse. Churchill's skill in wood-working had been critical in shaping comfortable fittings for the interior, and with luck, the long, angled hole underneath would keep the future contents from getting too foul. If not… Well, that's future Rachel's problem.  
  
You stretch, feeling the ache of your muscles from your labor today, before glancing at your Pokepedia to check the system clock. It's after four in the afternoon, but there ought to be some more time in the day. “Hey, Rachel. You done with Arwen?” You glance over at your friend and grimace. Taylor's hands are covered with blood, scraps of flesh, and hair. Despite that, she seems… content. Behind her, you see a trio of Drowzee hides, staked out taut on the wall of the enclosure. Catharsis, maybe?  
  
“Yeah, I'm done with her. You want to borrow Brutus for a wash?”  
  
Taylor grimaces. “Yeah, but not yet. I've got some prep left to do, if I'm going to make leather. Can you check the smoker, though?”  
  
“Sure.” You're a little hungry, anyway, and it sounds like an excuse to try some of the jerky. For quality control purposes, of course.  
  
Your friend smirks slightly, and then waves Arwen over. The Gardevoir recoils slightly as she spots Taylor's arms, but daintily picks her way across the ground, which is still a bit uneven, with lots of roots protruding. You frown, and make a mental note to work on that. Brutus and Raid should be able to level that out without too much instruction, now that you think about it…  
  
  
The jerky is done, smoky, slightly sweet, and absolutely delicious. After taking a cautious swig of water to wash down the dry meat, you start loading the meat strips into empty MRE bags, and when those run out, into packages of leaves sealed together by Churchill. You're about to start cooking the last of the Drowzee steaks for supper, along with some baked edible roots that Church had found just outside the edge of the compound, when a profoundly awful stink filled the compound.  
  
“What is that?” You gag, and turn to stare at a sheepish Taylor, who is stirring something in a thin-sided stone pot she had Gaius craft earlier.  
  
“Brains.” Taylor says briefly, holding her nose.  
  
“Brains.” You deadpan.  
  
<Tay says that the brains will help break down and treat the leather!> Arwen chirps, as Tully and Angelica drift closer. <Even if it smells nasty nasty!>   
  
Taylor nods wordlessly, a little green, as a puree of brain and what little rainwater you had left floats into the air, wrapped in Arwen's telekinesis, and starts smearing and rubbing into the scraped Drowzee hides. As you watch, the Gardevoir's telekinesis carefully works the material into the hides, before flipping them and doing the other side.  
  
“That is nasty… Yet fascinating.” You finally comment.   
  
“Yeah.” Taylor replies shortly. She seems to be trying not to breath. “Can I borrow Brutus now?”  
  
You pull out the Marshtomp's capsule, and with a bark of “Brutus, wash!”, the Pokemon blasts your friend with a fat stream of water, leaving her soaked and giggling. Thunder rolls, and you look up at the overcast sky carefully. It hasn't rained much today, fortunately, but… That is likely to change soon.  
  
“We need to get the hides in the cave, or they're going to be ruined.” Taylor states shortly.   
  
Churchill nods, and quickly cobbles together a set of racks, and Arwen moves the brain-treated hides to the racks and then along the wall of the entry tunnel, shortly before the first fat droplets of rain start falling. Before long, you and Taylor are huddling in front of the fireplace, roasting chunks of Drowzee over the open flames, and listening to the pound of rain.   
  
Taylor has never been truly talkative but now that you're not staying busy… She seems to be in a sullen mood. You glance at Arwen, sitting cross-legged behind her Trainer and delicately nibbling on some fruit, and she nods slightly. “Taylor. You ok?”  
  
“No.” The brunette stares down at the chunk of meat in her plate, before stabbing it viciously. “I was fucking useless yesterday.”  
  
“You were ambushed by skilled Psychic predators.” You counter.  
  
“Exactly!” Taylor snaps. “I shouldn't have been so stupid!”   
  
“So fucking learn from it!” You snap back, and Taylor recoils. “Learn the lesson and move the fuck on.”   
  
Taylor stares down at her plate, and you can feel Tully's reproachful gaze on the back of your head. You sigh.  
  
“When I went into the mires, looking for Brian, there was a clearing.” You say softly, and you see Taylor glancing at you out of the corner of her eye, through the curtain of dark hair. “I had been walking for hours, and I was tired, so I sat down. Almost fell asleep.” You sigh. “It was an ambush by Oddish. If I didn't have Angelica, I would have been poisoned and died right there. Fertilizer.” Your friend snorts mirthlessly. “I'm not judging you for the mistake. We all make them. I made mine, and I learned the lessons I could.”  
  
Taylor hunches over, collapsing into soft sobs. You put your plate aside and scoot over to pull her slender frame to you.   
  
<Bad bad dreams.> Arwen explains in a psychic whisper. <Death, loss, pain – all because she's not strong or smart or fast enough.>  
  
“'m useless.” Taylor mutters.   
  
“No, you're not.” You retort immediately. “I wouldn't have the first clue how to do half the shit you've done today. All the skinning and gutting and meat processing? I'd be living on berries and charred meat once my MREs ran out if I was here solo.”  
  
Your friend doesn't say anything else, just sits there while you hold her. You carefully ignore her tears. Eventually, she sighs and sits up. “Sorry.” she whispers, her eyes red.  
  
“It's ok. Just...”   
  
“I'll try not to hold you back.” Taylor states firmly, and digs out her Pokepedia. She takes first watch that night, after getting Gaius to make a large stone rainbarrel. You fall asleep to the soft sounds of your partner carving a piece of wood, and the lonely, musical, howl of a distant Pokemon.  
  
  
  
Your dreams are uneasy, but unremembered, and the second watch passes uneventfully, other than your surprise at noticing that Taylor had rolled the hides and soaked them in the rainbarrel. A quick breakfast of fruit, and you apply yourself to the next task – something to keep the rain, a persistent drizzle this morning, off your work areas. Ultimately, this means trips into the adjoining forest with Churchill, Tully, and Gaius, Angelica staying by the camp as a guard, while Acey and Iris explore. The Dratini loves the rain, swimming through the air and spinning over to bask in the waterfalls pouring off leaves, while occasionally scaring off passing Pokemon. The jungle seems a little unsettled somehow, but you can't put your finger on any specific reason. Maybe it's just your nerves. Still, after a couple of trips for materials, you're set to begin construction.  
  
Taylor is working inside the cave, taking shelter from the rain, when you return, scraping and pressing the hides, or having Arwen fold and bend them over and over with her telekinesis. You leave her to her work, and start by having Gaius raising tall, thin Rock Spikes to act as pillars, while carving notches out of the cliff face to brace a roof of long, thin branches. With Churchill splitting and shaping the wood, as well as merging the layers of leaves together into a single, waterproof tarp, it only takes a couple of hours to make a leaning roof-like structure, covering your cookfire, the entry to your sleeping cave, and the path to the outhouse, as well as the overlapped gap in the wall that allows passage to the south, along the cliff. It stretches over about half of your little enclosure, and as you step back and admire what you've done, you grin happily. And then your stomach grumbles, thunder rolls, and you remember that you're soaked to the bone. All this fucking rain, and you're running out of drinking water… You glance at the stone rainbarrel, standing beside the door of the cave, and a thought occurs.   
  
After a quick snack of jerky and fruit, you stand with Gaius and Churchill under the canopy. “Ok, we're going to make a big basin that can hold a lot of rainwater, so we aren't in danger of running out of water in the future.”  
  
Gaius nods slowly, before gesturing to the large pile of rubble in one corner of the enclosure.  
  
“Yes, we're going to use that. I was thinking that you could merge the rocks together to make a big basin, but up on legs so that we can set a fire underneath and boil the water to make it safe.”  
  
Churchill strokes his chin, then scoops a spare branch off the ground. The wood – a thicker segment of log with a branch coming off it, reshapes into a hollow gutter with a thinner pipe coming off it. {Put on edge of roof?}  
  
“Exactly! Use the roof to catch and redirect the water, with gutters to pour it into the basin.” You stroke the leaf-like plume on the orange Grovyle's head. “Good thinking.” Turning to Tully, who is leaning on one of the support pillars, you summon Iris and Acey. “Tully, can you go foraging? We need fruit, nuts, roots, anything that smells fit for human and Pokemon consumption.”  
  
< _Of course!_ > The Lucario barks, snapping off a salute.   
  
“Stay close, and don't get into any fights that you can't finish easily.” You say sternly. “Run if there's any trouble at all.”  
  
Tully nods seriously. < _We'll be careful. I promise._ > He wraps you in a hug, muzzle pressed to your stomach, and then gestures for Acey and Iris to follow, the two flying Pokemon zooming around him as he leaves the enclosure.   
  
You watch him go, burying your worry. Tully's smart, his Aura lets him detect Pokemon around him, as well as hurt pretty much anything equally, and Acey and Iris are fast and strong as well, even if Iris is young and relatively untrained. They should be fine. You turn back to Gaius, who nods and pats your shoulder with a comforting rumble. “Thanks. Ready to get started?”  
  
With vague plans in place, you set to work, and by the time the sun starts drifting towards the horizon, you have a large rainwater basin, set about two feet off the ground on sturdy stone legs, with a stone spigot that Gaius had crafted, based on your rough descriptions, to make it easier to get water out. Churchill had managed to rig a hollow wooden pipe on a pivot, so that when the rain basin is full, the wood floats enough that rather than making the basin overflow, the flow from the gutters pours out of your compound. Proud of your work – as well as soaked and sore – you go back into the cave, where Taylor is sitting in front of the roaring fire, leaning on Raid's slumbering form as she works on something. The trio of Drowzee hides are hanging on the walls of the cave.  
  
“Get the leather wrapped up?” You ask, putting a tin of water on the fire to boil.  
  
“Yeah.” Taylor says, holding up a braided leather cord. There's a thick bulge in the middle of the braid, about the size of the first joint of your thumb, and you can see green-grey hooks protruding from the knot. “I'm working on something, to try and keep us safe from Drowzee in the future.”  
  
You take the cord. It actually looks quite nice, crafted from eight thin leather thongs and braided in an intricate pattern around the central bulge, which now that you look at it resembles an oblong burr, with long, sharp hooks. The burr is shaking slightly. “What is it?”  
  
“That's a Worry Seed. Ivysaur and Venusaur launch them at their foes and they burrow in, releasing chemicals to increase anxiety, while vibrating and wiggling to prevent the target from sleeping. They mostly use them on Pokemon that heal when they sleep, but also to wear out pretty much anything and take it down slowly, especially if they are resistant to their poisons.” Taylor explains, a bit of the old light of enthusiasm showing in her face. “I didn't want to implant them, so they won't be as effective, but with the Drowzee leather, you can wear it as a neck band, and any psychic or chemical sleep effects will activate the seed.”   
  
“Activate the seed?” You have a sudden vision of the burr digging into your neck, and Taylor must see the expression on your face, because she shakes her head, chuckling.   
  
“Not like that.” She pulls her hair to the side, and you see an identical band going around her neck. “It will buzz and prickle, making it obvious that there's something wrong and acting as an irritant to keep you awake.” Taylor glances over to Arwen, who is sitting nibbling on some fruit in the corner. “Show her, please.”  
  
Arwen nods, and her eyes glow red. The warmth of the fire seems… so much more comforting. It would be nice, to rest a bit. It's been a long day, and you were working hard, you deserve a nap. In the palm of your hand, the worry seed starts buzzing and shaking, the burrs catching on your skin and pulling distractingly. You shake your head, and see Taylor grimacing in discomfort. “It's not pleasant.” She grits out. “But it seems to work.”   
  
“Yeah, it seems like it.” The somnolent pressure fades, and you carefully knot the worry band around your neck, until it's snug, but not choking. “Thanks, Taylor.”   
  
Your partner gives you a small smile. Being able to keep moving forward and find solutions like this seemed to be helping her. She's about to reply, when there's a commotion from outside. You step out, only to see Tully clambering over the enclosure wall, Acey and Iris darting past him. Iris has a massive bundle of fruit, tied together by vines clutched in her mouth, while Acey has a bundle of fat roots bound on her back as she surfs on her tail. Tully… You glare at the Lucario as he hops to the ground. He has a squirming Pokemon clutched under his arm, although it's moving too much to get more of an impression than green hide and a long neck.  
  
“What on earth are you doing?” you snap, and Tully's eyes go wide, his mouth falling into an embarrassed doggy grin.  
  
< _Foraging?_ > He yips, and the little Pokemon in his arms gives a high pitched squeal – that is echoed by a loud, angry bugle from just outside your walls, quickly followed by the thud of something very large hitting the barrier. Wood and stone shatter, revealing a massive green Pokemon. It raises its long neck, glaring down at you from fifteen feet in the air, a cluster of bright yellow bananas growing from under the chin. The body is as tall as Gaius at the shoulder, and is probably twice as long, with a whipping tail and four long, winglike leaves growing from the Pokemon's powerful shoulders. _Tropius_ , your mind whispers as you stare at the enormous dinosaur.   
  
“Tully, what did I tell you when I sent you out?” Angelica steps forward, flames licking out of her mouth, and the Tropius' attention locks on her.  
  
< _Forage for food, don't get in fights I can't win, and run if I have to?_ > Tully replies, brushing the baby Tropius's head away as it tries to bite his ears.  
  
“Angelica, drive it off.” You order, and the Houndoom barks, spitting a large fireball at the Tropius's feet. The massive grass-type rears and bugles in fear, and swings its neck, glowing green with grass energy at Angelica, only for her to dodge and spew a stream of loose flame. Green hide starts to sizzle and burn, and the dinosaur turns and runs, a loose fireball following it closely. You turn back to Tully. “And what part of that sounded like 'kidnap a baby Pokemon and lure its massive mother back to our camp'?”  
  
Tully slumps in embarrassment, and the Tropius under his arm finally bites his ear, making him drop it with a yelp. The little grass-type hits the ground with a squeal and tries to run, but Acey nails it with a Thunder Wave, and it drops, twitching piteously. You sigh, and pull out a capsule. As the baby disappears in a flash of red light, you hear Taylor snickering from the entrance to the cave.  
  
You sigh. “It could have been worse, I guess.”   
  
Tully rubs his ear sheepishly. < _There was a herd of them nearby, and I saw them feeding the fruit on their necks to smaller Pokemon, so I thought he would be useful._ > He shakes his head. < _I thought I could sneak him out, so that you could raise him._ >  
  
“And you got caught.” You put the Capsule back in your pocket, and start pulling the pack of roots off Acey.   
  
< _Sorry._ > Tully whines, and a final log falls over with a crash, making everyone jump.   
  
You pinch the bridge of your nose. “Fine. Help Gaius get the fence patched, I'll deal with the little Tropius later.” Turning to Iris, you start scratching behind her ear fins, and she drops the bundle of assorted fruit in your hands. Some of them you recognize – bananas, avocados, and what look like some kind of orange or grapefruit, but others are odd, like massive blueberries the size of your fist, or purple strawberries. You shrug, and dump them all in a basket that Churchill holds up for you, and the roots that Acey had on her back go in another.   
  
“It wasn't a terrible idea.” Taylor says from behind you.   
  
“No, it really wasn't. Execution was iffy, but it was a good idea.” You reply. “I'm not sure how much time I can take to break in a new Pokemon, or how long it will take to grow up to the point we can harvest fruit.”  
  
Taylor shrugs. “We can hold onto it and decide later, I think.  
  
“Yeah.”   
  
  
  
The night is slow and uneventful, although you do have to take off the Worry Band to be able to sleep, since every time you start to drift off the damn thing starts buzzing. After a brief discussion over breakfast – foraged fruit, and boiled, then chilled rainwater, you and Taylor work together to expand and fortify the barrier around your little camp. Pokemon labor, particularly Gaius's brute strength and Arwen's telekinesis, mean that it only takes a few hours to extend the fence north, towards the waterfall, by about thirty to forty feet. Brutus and Raid dig up roots and grow soft turf, and Churchill crafts a pair of heavy gates that nestle between the overlapped walls on the north and south, so if there's a charging Pokemon, they can't approach the gates directly. The final touch are bristles of sharp stone spikes from the top and base of the wall, to make it much more painful for larger Pokemon to charge the walls.   
  
By noon, with the sun actually peeking through the cloud cover and shining down inside your compound, you feel at least somewhat content with your living situation. Sure, there is still room for improvement, but it's livable. Food, water, shelter, protection, all the things needed for a little patch of home in the wilderness.  
  
You take a bite of jerky. “Taylor, I'm wanting to check out the area around the waterfall today, before nightfall.” Your friend goes still, lowering her head. “We need to see what else is in the area, and if there's anything useful.”  
  
Taylor doesn't say anything, just goes to the rain barrel and washes sap off her hands under the spigot. When she gets back to you, she's squared her shoulders. “Fine.”  
  
“You good?”  
  
Her eyes narrow. “I said 'fine.' It makes sense.”  
  
You nod, and prepare for the trip, packing away everything inside the cave. It doesn't take long before you and Taylor are on your way, Raid, Arwen, Angelica, Tully, and Churchill by your sides. The forest is enjoying the sunlight, after the long rainy period. While you don't see any, you can hear monkeys whooping in the trees, and brightly colored birds flit in and out of sight, too quickly to identify.   
  
It doesn't take long to reach the waterfall. Fortunately, there don't seem to be any more Drowzee around, at least so far as Tully and Arwen can determine. Unfortunately, when you step into view of the stream, you are immediately spotted by a troop of brightly colored monkeys. The red, blue, and green monkeys are wrestling and shrieking happily, to the point that you can't quite get a good count of how many there are, under the watchful gaze of a brilliant blue ape, twice the size of the other monkeys, lounging on a branch. You freeze, but the blue ape's eyes snap to you, and it hops off the branch, shrieking. The troop of smaller monkeys stop playing and move aside as the larger ape approaches the stream, bowing up and making a threat display, baring its fangs. Still, you see… something in its eyes. It's brighter than the Rampardos, although you can't tell if it's truly sapient. This… Simipour… is looking from you, to Taylor, to your team, and though it's not scared, it is absolutely cautious.


	6. Chapter 6

You meet the eyes of the Simipour and take a step forward, closer to the stream. It tosses its head, the mane of blue dreadlocks snapping, and howls, but doesn't back down, baring its teeth at you. Can't back down, but you don't want to be too threatening… You beckon Tully forward, but don't break eye contact. “Tully. We mean no harm, but want access to water here.” The Simipour doesn't react to your speech, beyond a snarl.  
  
< _Our troop comes for water._ > Tully barks, and the blue-furred monkey looks to him, tail curling up over her back. She dips a front paw in the stream and scoops a globe of water, glowing faintly with the energy needed to keep it in its shape, and slurps it down. Tully moves to mirror her, but stops when she screeches angrily at him. < _We mean no harm, will hunt elsewhere._ > Tully states, his barks level and even to match his broadcast tone.  
  
The Simipour splashes him angrily, howling. It's not a true attack, though, but the troop of brightly colored monkeys behind her start shrieking and jumping. Your eyes flit over them, the names – Pansear, Panpour, and Pansage – slipping into your mind. There are only eleven, three of the blue Panpour and four each of the green Pansage and red Pansear, and of those eleven, four are smaller and obviously younger than the rest. A pair of Pansage are obviously infants, clinging to the chest and back of one of the Panpour in the back of the troop.  
  
You dig a strip of Drowzee jerky out of the small bag in your pocket, and toss it across the stream to the Simipour, who snatches it out of mid air and sniffs at it, nostrils flaring. “We killed the Drowzee and Hypno that were guarding this area. We can kill you too, but we would prefer not to.” You state, and Tully interprets. The Simipour glares at you, but takes a bite of the jerky, chewing it thoughtfully. It hands a piece to a Pansear behind it, and the smaller monkey takes a much more enthusiastic bite. “If you like that, we can make more, but we need access to the water.” You're still not totally convinced that the Simipour is sapient, but it hasn't attacked yet, which is what you want.   
  
<She's scared, but hopeful. The Drowzee have been a menace to her troop, killed several of them recently.> Arwen whispers to your mind.  
  
“Is she sapient?”  
  
You get the mental equivalent of a shrug. <She's not a dummy.> Super helpful, Arwen. <Hey!>  
  
“Tully, try and get another drink.” You order, and the Lucario slowly bends to lap at the water. While the Simipour snarls, she doesn't stop him, and the troop of Pokemon seems to calm down somewhat. As he straightens up, the Simipour chitters to her troop, and leads them into the trees on the far side of the clearing.  
  
< _I think we're being tolerated, at least._ > Tully states, watching them go.   
  
“It wouldn't have ended well for them, if they attacked.” Taylor comments, and Churchill nods in agreement.  
  
“True, but we can't afford a big fight like that. And being peaceful may have opened some doors for the future.” You state idly, looking around the small clearing. It's actually a really nice spot. The cheerful gurgle of the waterfall tumbling over rocks is fairly soothing, and it's actually got some grass, at least on the far side of the stream. The stream itself winds off into the forest, heading southwest. Churchill bounds across the stream and to the edge of the cliff, where he climbs a short, squat, tree tucked away in a natural hollow in the cliff wall.   
  
After a few seconds of rustling, he emerges, an impromptu basket full of tan, heart-shaped fruit somewhat resembling peaches clutched in his claws. {Fruit!} he signs excitedly, after setting the basket on the ground. {These are sweet and tasty!} You hop across the stream, Taylor following behind you, and inspect the fruit. While it does visually look like a peach, the soft flesh has a thin skin similar to an apple. You wash one in the waterfall, and gingerly take a bite. It's incredibly sweet and the flesh is very tender, with soft seeds like a kiwi fruit distributed throughout.  
  
“I think Acey found some of these earlier.” Taylor says, before biting into one of her own. “It's almost too sweet.”  
  
“I like it.” You reply with a grin, and finish the fruit. “I think I'm going to call them Chapples.”  
  
“You mean Pechas?” Taylor retorts.   
  
“Yeah, I guess that works better.” You sigh. “Anyway, these Pechas should help stretch out our supplies.”  
  
{Save seeds, can grow more.} Churchill signs, before biting into one of his own, and spitting the seeds into a cupped claw.  
  
“A garden wouldn't be a terrible idea.” You reply, before finishing the sweet fruit and wiping the juice off your chin. Here, at the base of the cliff, there's a bit of a pool, no more than ten or fifteen feet across and about waist deep. It will be cold, but…   
  
“Taylor, I know that it might be awkward, but would you be willing to come here for bathing?”   
  
Your partner grimaces. “That will be cold as hell.” She glances at the grassy area and shivers. “And...”   
  
“Ah, right.” The drowzee attacked her here. “We would have to be careful, and only come out when it's both of us.”  
  
“We're going to have to think about laundry soon too.” Taylor sighs. “Your basin is pretty big, but not big enough for bathing and clotheswashing on top of drinking and cooking water for everyone.” She grimaces. “Can't we dig out a bathing room in the cave?”  
  
“Maybe. You're thinking we should stay put until we train up our Pokemon to the point that they can help us move north?”  
  
Taylor sighs. “I don't know.” She looks around. “Let's just go back to camp.”  
  
The sun is starting to drift towards the horizon. “Sure.” You scoop up the basket of Pechas, and cross the stream. Taylor only stops long enough to spit on the grass, where one of the Drowzee had stood, before following you.   
  
You arrive home – your camp, you mentally correct yourself – and busy yourself on the stove, eventually coming up with a meal of diced, stewed jerky, served over sliced boiled tubers. It's fairly palatable, although the roots are definitely missing salt and butter. Taylor is pensive this evening, but less glum. Having an encounter with Pokemon end without violence seems to be helping both of you. Despite that, evening comes with minimal conversation, beyond that which is absolutely necessary. You take the first watch, and sit just outside the door, watching the stars in the clear sky immediately overhead, and listen to the hypnotic, sorrowful howls of the Pokemon to the east.  
  
  
  
The morning is overcast, but not rainy, yet. You're still a little sore from your hard labor over the past few days, so you summon Mab, and spend a few hours working with a new move. She grasps the concept of thin, sharp needles of ice fairly quickly, but getting her to produce and hide a large number in her four fluffy tails, then launch them with flicks of the soft appendages takes some time. Once she has the concept, you pass her off to Tully and Churchill, with instructions to work on her aim.   
  
You glance over at Gaius, who is carefully etching and shaping a doorframe around the entrance to the cave and filling it with abstract patterns. “Gaius, think I should work with Brutus or Iris?” You call, and after a moment's thought, the Aggron makes a sinuous motion with one claw in the air. “Iris it is, thanks.”   
  
The Dratini bursts into existence in a flash of red light, then loops around your torso before nuzzling your cheek. “Good to see you too, girl.” You laugh, and Iris trills, then swoops though the air in a spiral of joyous motion. Overhead, you see the clouds grow a little darker, and Churchill's head shoots up.   
  
He bolts over to you, staring at Iris. Orange claws flit rapidly in sign. {Rain stronger! Like Sunny Day!} He looks to the clouds, which are steadily going growing darker and darker and pouring down in a column of heavy clouds, immediately over your head. Iris sings, and spins in spirals and figure eights. Fat droplets of rain begin to fall, and then there's a downpour, in a circle forty feet wide, centered on your dancing dragon. You can hear thunder beginning to rumble.  
  
“Iris!” You yell, as you retreat to the covered portion of your enclosure. The raindrops almost seem to glisten. “Stop the rain!”  
  
The Dratini trills, and swims through the air to you, coiling around your body in a serpentine hug. Almost immediately, the unnatural rain starts to dissipate. You scratch behind her ear fins, and Iris begins to hiss happily, leaning into your touch. “That's got some potential.” You muse, as the clouds begin to fade away. Soon, the sky is a pale blue, all the water vapor in the overcast sky ripped out by your Dratini's technique. “You up to work on that some more, girl?” Iris butts your head in response, and you laugh.


	7. Chapter 7

You're no botanist, but there is something odd about some of the fruit that your Pokemon have found. Some of them you recognize from books – small bananas and larger plantains, even a mango or two - but there are others that are just… odd. The Pecha were quite strange, with a mix of features from fruit that you recognized, but after eating one, you also discovered that they were unusually filling, leaving you feeling like you had eaten a full meal. You're not complaining about that particular feature, but the strangeness has you a bit on edge.   
  
Squatting in front of a basket full of fruit, you start pulling out ones that look or feel odd. After a few minutes of sorting, you frown at three small piles of fruit. The first has a couple of dozen ping-pong ball sized cherries, each one half red and half white, in clusters of two to five fruit. They are firm to the touch, and cautiously slicing into one shows that they have a large, hard seed buried in firm pink flesh. Beside you, Tully wrinkles his nose. < _Smells hot._ > You sniff at the flesh, and pop it into your mouth. Immediately, your eyes start watering. There's a hint of sweetness, but it's like you bit into a spicy pepper. It's good, but you weren't really expecting the heat.   
  
You wash the berry down with a swig of water from your canteen, and glance over at Taylor, who is pacing around the rainwater basin, muttering to herself. “Hey, found some spicy cherries here. Think that would be good with something?”  
  
Taylor nods distractedly, then glances to the north, towards the waterfall. “Sure. Get the seeds, and we'll plant some.”   
  
“You thinking about something?”  
  
“Yeah.” Taylor grunts, then looks back at the basin. It's misting right now, after heavy overnight rains, and the tank is nearly full. “I'm thinking that walking back and forth to the waterfall and stripping out of our armor to bathe is asking for disaster.”  
  
As you mull over her statement, you pit another Cheri and pop the fruit into your mouth, enjoying the burn much more this time. After you swallow the fruit, you nod. “That makes sense. Trying to work out how we can use the rainwater instead?”  
  
“Yeah. Can I borrow Gaius?”  
  
You glance at the Aggron, who is currently napping, leaned against the cliff-face beside the stone stove. “I'm sure he won't mind, once he wakes up. He has a knack for that sort of thing.”  
  
Taylor nods thoughtfully. “Thanks.”  
  
A Cheri, wrapped in an aura of green light, floats by to pop into Arwen's mouth. You frown slightly, and settle down crosslegged on the ground. “Taylor, what are you planning to do with your Pokemon?”  
  
“Do with them?” Taylor asks. From her spot on Taylor's shoulder, Fuzzbutt chitters and nuzzles her cheek. You glance out to the corner of the compound, where Raid basks in the morning drizzle, next to a meditating Churchill, while Acey flits around, flickers of psychic energy capturing and releasing raindrops and leaves in some idle game. Angelica is curled up by the fire, eyes on the flickering flame, and Tully is squatting beside you, nimble claws coring Cheri and placing the seeds on one broad leaf, the fruit on another. At the moment, you have Mab, Brutus, and Iris in their capsules, but that's mostly because you're busy and it's early.   
  
“You haven't done much of anything with your other Pokemon. Bane may be big enough for you to ride on for short distances, at least, and Spectre could have been useful against the Drowzee, or as night watch. You've got Nibbler, too.”  
  
Taylor's wide mouth thins as she presses her lips together. “I'm not as lucky as you. Half of your Pokemon are sapient and can manage themselves.”  
  
“Hey, I'm not trying to judge, I just want to see what your reasons are.”  
  
Taylor sighs. “Sorry. Just...” Arwen drifts over to her and wraps her trainer in a reassuring hug. “Raid and Fuzzbutt are calm, and Raid's Grass abilities have been useful. Arwen is sapient and helpful, plus she can speak to me.”  
  
<All the time!> The Gardevoir chirps teasingly, and Taylor smirks.  
  
“But Bane is a bird-brain, and lights himself on fire on a moment's notice. While he's big enough and strong enough for me to ride…”  
  
“If you get burns, or he throws you off, we're in the middle of nowhere.”  
  
“Yeah.” Taylor sighs. “I'm not scared of Spectre, but I'm… concerned. There's just us out here, and if she gets too hungry, she's gonna starve, or she's going to start having to feed on our fears.”  
  
You wince. “That would be bad.”   
  
“No kidding. And Nibbler has the same issue, but in a different way. He's an obligate carnivore, and while he's not just a giant mouth with legs any more, he still has to eat a lot, every day. Once we get a solid foundation and have food stockpiled, I do want to train him some more, since Garchomp have a ridiculous flight speed and can carry pretty significant weights, but right now, he's in the Capsule until I can keep him fed.”  
  
“Makes sense.” You reply, then turn back to the fruit in front of you. “Sorry if I was prying.”  
  
“It's fine. Arwen, would you be willing to start working on your Teleport range? Just go out as far as you can, then come back as quickly as possible.”  
  
<Sure! I'll be back in a flash!>  
  
As the Psychic Pokemon disappears in a flash of teal, you smile slightly, then focus on the second pile of fruit. Your initial impression was of a fist-sized blueberry. There's only four of these fruit, but they are quite substantial. In the hand, it's a little heavier than it should be. You carefully poke the smooth skin with your knife, and slice off a thin layer of tough skin, which comes off a thin membrane on the inside, allowing you to peel the fruit like an orange.   
  
Inside is a dense honeycomb of hexagonal cells, each one full of a soft bluish gel with a single purple seed floating inside. The cells separate easily, and as you pull one out of the fruit, you realize that each cell has its own membrane, and when separated, look like a twelve-sided die about the size of your pinkie nail. You put the Oran cell in your mouth, and gingerly bite down. The sour gel inside the cell feels like it explodes in your mouth, and your lips pucker, but as the sourness subsides, the soft seed gives a final note of sweetness. It's not bad, actually.   
  
The third pile contains about a dozen fruit that resemble bluish-purple strawberries, down to the seeds on the exterior of the heart-shaped fruit. Each is large enough to fill the palm of your hand. Tully scoops one up and sniffs it cautiously. < _I don't think all of this is edible._ > he whines, then starts picking away pulp from the fruit. Sure enough, inside the middle of the Rawst berry is a leathery spherical pouch. < _We can't eat this._ > the Lucario states, poking the pouch in the palm of his hand. It sloshes, then punctures, releasing a torrent of translucent yellow slime that smells strongly of aloe into the pad of his paw. Tully's nose crinkles, then his brow furrows. < _It's cool. I think this would be good for burns._ >   
  
“That will be useful.” You comment, then carefully nibble at the fruit that he picked away. It's almost flavorless, with only a hint of bitterness. Not your favorite. Still, if it actually helps with burns, then these Rawst berries would be wildly useful. Something about your past thought catches in your mind. “Tayor!” you say, holding up a new fruit.  
  
“Yeah?” your friend responds, walking over to you.   
  
“What kind of fruit is this?” You indicate the Rawst sitting in your hand.  
  
“It's… Well, it's kind of a strawberry, but… It looks like a Rawst berry to me.” She scratches her head. “Although I don't think I've seen one before.”  
  
You sigh. “That's what I thought.”  
  
Taylor blinks, then her eyes widen in realization. “It's like meeting new Pokemon.”  
  
“Yeah.” You point at the piles of fruit in front of you. “Cheri, Oran, and Rawst. And we found that Pecha tree, earlier.”  
  
“That's a little disturbing.”  
  
You don't disagree. It's one thing with Pokemon – the phenomenon, while never explained, was well documented – but you had never heard of fruit that did the same thing. Still, you hand Taylor a pitted Cheri and the remains of the Oran you had peeled. “The Cheri are spicy, but good, and the Oran cells are like sour candy gel. Rawst have pulp that Tully thinks should help heal burns.”  
  
Over in the corner of the compound, Raid opens her eyes and stumps over to where you sit under the canopy, shaking the rain off her leaves. She scoops up a cluster of Cheris with a vine, and stares at them, before popping them in her mouth. As she bites down, there's a flicker of faint light from inside her closing mouth, and Tully's head snaps over to stare at her. < _What?_ > He barks.  
  
“What was that?” You ask.   
  
< _It released energy of some kind._ > The Lucario replies, picking up a Cheri of his own, then biting into it with a grimace. He closes his eyes, concentrating. < _Some kind of… release._ > He shakes his head. < _I think it loosens your energy somehow._ > He nibbles on a chunk of Oran. < _This one speeds up healing slightly..._ > His eyebrows furrow, as the four lobes on the back of his head flicker with Aura. < _I can almost see how..._ >  
  
“So we have super-fruit.” Taylor summarizes, as Arwen appears in a burst of light, then disappears again a fraction of a second later.  
  
“Apparently.” You reply. There's a rumble from Gaius, and he heaves himself to his feet and ambles over to you. “Hey, Gaius. We're going to be trying out a garden. Want to help?” The Aggron bobs his head eagerly, and you chuckle.  
  
  
  
After a couple of hours of work, you brush dust off your hands. Along the base of the cliff is a broad planter, about four or five feet wide and two feet deep, made of stone that Gaius called out of the ground and filled with loose, rich soil and mulch from Brutus' enthusiastic efforts. At Taylor's direction, Raid munched on a mix of Pechas, Cheris, Rawst berries, and Oran, and spat the seeds, infused with her energy, into a loose grid, where they were already beginning to sprout. Cheri plants appeared to be climbing vines, so Churchill had whipped up a wooden trellis to support the growing plants.   
  
Arwen appears beside you in a flash of green, and you catch a glimpse of a massive bunch of bananas in her hands before it violently explodes, sending fruit pulp and splinters flying everywhere. You can't help but laugh as the Gardevoir blinks, wiping banana pulp out of her eyes. <oops?>  
  
“Ok, it's time to make that wash station.” Taylor decides, and you agree with a chuckle.  
  
It takes more fiddling than you like, but you eventually decide on a broad shallow wooden tub with a privacy rack made of sculpted wood and a curtain made of the fused leaf-tarp that churchill used for the canopy. It's not what you initially wanted, but you wasted too much time trying to make a working shower head out of stone, only for it to keep breaking and cracking. At least with the tub, you can sit in it and clean yourself with warm water, or use it for laundry.   
  
The rest of the evening is devoted to getting clean, and although there's no soap, both you and Taylor feel much better after several days of stewing in your own sweat, with washed clothes and armor drying in front of your fireplace inside the cave. You munch on Drowzee jerky and half a Pecha as you lounge on your sleeping bag, and glance over at Taylor. “Have you given any thought to investigating the howl we keep hearing?”  
  
The brunette nods, brushing the water out of her long hair. “Yeah, I have, actually. It's on the list of things we need to do.”  
  
“Oh?”  
  
“Yeah.” She puts down the brush, picks up a signal mirror, and examines her hair critically. “First was food and shelter, and I think we are set for that. Next is making sure our area is secure, and to do that, we need to make sure that there's nothing too nasty in the forest around us.”  
  
“Makes sense.” You muse. “I think I need to work with my Pokemon on a couple of things. I have a couple of ideas for making them more versatile that shouldn't take too long.”  
  
“I think we have enough food on hand for a couple of days, and then we can go on a hunting trip and get the lay of the land a little better.” Taylor replies. “Then we should be able to start exploring above the cliff.”  
  
“Sounds like a plan.”  
  
  
  
The next two days pass in a blur of training, but in the end, your Pokemon end up with a range of new techniques that should dramatically increase their effectiveness. Most notable is that Churchill makes a breakthrough and learns to convert his energy to Bug-type, allowing him to learn a move you call Fury Cutter, a flying slash that dramatically boosts his abilty to harm Psychics, Dark Types, and other Grass-types. Taylor dips into the woods briefly on the first day, coming back with a pair of Tepig that, when marinated in Pecha and Cheri juice and smoked over a low fire, were some of the best things you had ever eaten. In the process of learning to infuse his energy into thrown stones and boulders, Gaius makes a small, cool larder with stone shelves, giving you a better place to store your goods than out in the open,   
  
Each night, you hear the howl, but… it almost seems to be getting weaker. Something deep inside you is certain that there is _something_ you need to do. But Taylor was right, you have to make sure that you are safe first.  
  
In the early morning, before the sun rises, Taylor shakes you awake and makes a breakfast of the last of your fresh Pecha. Your little garden has grown remarkably quickly, but likely won't produce fruit for another couple of days. You pack the last of your Drowzee jerky and check the charge on your Pokepedia. It's at 67%, which is… decent, considering that the solar charger won't work in the rain. Armored up, backpack empty of everything except your first aid supplies, and most of your team safely in their capsules, you step out into the morning light. It's misty, but looks like it could clear up a bit later on.   
  
“Canteens are full.” Taylor says, handing you one.   
  
“Thanks. Ready?”   
  
She nods. The pair of you, with Gaius and Churchill leading the way, Angelica, Tully, and Raid on the flanks, and Arwen in the middle, the fragile Psychic between you and Taylor. The morning is mostly quiet. Sure, there's the constant bug Pokemon, but few stand out, and the only one that really causes any trouble is an aggressive Venomoth that eventually falls to a fireball from Angelica, after dodging at least a dozen of her blasts. You keep making your way southwest, wandering back and forth. As you go, you gather food – roots that Churchill says are edible, more Oran and Cheri, and a double handful of large nuts that were being guarded by a brightly colored Toucannon. Acey's powerful lightning strikes handle the large bird easily, and Taylor field-cleans it before shoving it into her backpack.   
  
Eventually, you come to a large clearing that seems to be recovering from a fire, with the charred remains of trees being pushed aside by new growth. Inside the clearing are several enormous purple slugs with coiled, fleshy growths like snail shells resting on their backs. As you watch the slime-covered Pokemon ooze along, browsing fresh greenery from between the charred logs, Tully glances around. < _Uh oh._ > He yips, and points. Dropping from the trees around and behind you are several head-sized slugs, each with a quartet of fleshy antenna and vacant, staring black eyes. You recognize these Pokemon. “Goomy.” They're mostly pests at this stage – slow, omnivorus pests, relying heavily on absorbing their opponent's energy and lashing out after being attacked. The problem is that they have Dragon typing, and while it takes a long time, if left unchecked, they eventually evolve into Sligoo, which are much faster and more aggressive. A pair of Sligoo will then merge into a massive Goodra, that then buds and split into dozens of individual Goomy, to repeat the cycle again. You look back into the clearing. “Shit.” The Sligoo have noticed you, and are starting to approach.  
  
<Behind us!> Arwen squeals, and you turn to see an eight-foot tall Goodra, oozing out from between two trees.   
  
“With a Psychic and an Aura sensitive, how do we keep getting ambushed?” You groan.  
  
< _Too much ambient life._ > Tully explains, and Arwen nods.  
  
<And they are so dumb they barely think!>  
  
You sigh. “Fine.” The Goodra gurgles, and it starts to rain.


	8. Chapter 8

“Taylor,” You murmur, keeping your eye on the approaching Goodra, rain slicking down your short hair and trickling under the collar of your armor. “Let's keep our distance and use ranged attacks.” Out of the corner of your eye, you spot her faint nod. “Arwen have any Fairy-type moves?”  
  
“A couple.” Taylor replies shortly. Arwen tilts her head to the side, then nods sharply, brushing her bangs out of one eye.   
  
“Then if she can use them on the big one, that would be great.”  
  
“Got it.”  
  
The Goomy, drawn to motion, are approaching surprisingly quickly, for giant slugs. You're split, the Sliggoo spread out behind you, the Goodra approaching from ahead. You make a quick decision. “Angelica, on my command, Tar, then Hellfire on everything.” The Houndoom growls eagerly, her lips curling to show blackening fangs. “Tully, take the rookies, take down the Goomy at range.” In a trio of flashes, Iris, Mab, and Brutus appear, and the Goodra lunges forward in response.   
  
Arwen intercepts it in a flash of teal light, blowing a kiss at the slimy dragon, which floats towards it like a bobbing, lip-shaped balloon of sparkling pink energy. The Goodra rears back bonelessly, stunned, pink hearts flashing in its large, milky eyes, before it turns to focus on Arwen.  
  
< _On it._ > Tully barks, and Iris coils around his shoulders, Mab and Brutus running at his heels. Angelica makes a hacking sound deep in her throat, then vomits a thick, sticky stream of tar, splattering over a pair of the Sliggoo, as well as half a dozen Goomy. The black ooze steams and hisses in the rain, but a blast of red and black Hellfire has it blazing merrily. The hostile slug Pokemon don't scream, all you hear is the crackle of flame and the hiss of boiling slime.  
  
“Gaius, Churchill, Acey!” You command. “Take down the other Sliggoo, don't let them get too close!” As Gaius rips a boulder out of the ground, you catch a red flash of light out of the corner of your eye and spot Taylor's Gabite materializing out of his capsule.  
  
“Nibbler, Dragon breath! Go wild!” Taylor barks, pointing at the dazed Goodra. Thunder rolls as Acey calls down lightning on a Sliggoo, with Gaius's hurled boulder smashing another against a tree, splattering slime and purple flesh everywhere. Well, that's one down...  
  
You glance around. The silence of the slug-like Pokemon is starting to be unnerving. The Sliggoo that she targeted, still trapped in blazing tar is nearly boiling, slimy flesh shriveling and burning, but the rain is starting to put out the flames that hadn't caught in Tar, and the tar that hadn't caught on fire is hardening into lumps of gray asphalt. You watch a volley of fist-sized seeds slam into the soft flesh of another Sliggoo, but all it does is reel backwards. Something is niggling in the back of your head  
  
Mab prances over to a trapped Goomy, and with a flick of one of her tails, she drives an ice needle the length of your forearm and as thick as a finger between its eyes, and while the slug's flesh hisses and blackens, drawing away from the icy attack, it doesn't respond otherwise… until its body begins to glow, and in a flash, it releases a blast of stored energy at the snowy white Vulpix. Mab tumbles, her fur picking up mud and ash, before she collides with a half-burned stump. In retaliation, Tully slams his paw-spike into the Goomy, glowing with Aura, before ripping it in half in a burst of foul fluids. You dart over to Mab, and scoop her up. She's breathing, and as you pick her up, she lifts her head, dazed. One of her forelegs is obviously broken, and you scratch her ears before returning her to her Capsule, biting your lip.   
  
“Taylor, they're Biding!” You yell, as Tully, his muzzle twisted in disgust, tries to wipe slug goo off his paws. There's another flash of energy, and Angelica yelps, dodging, before lashing out with a pair of spectral black jaws, bisecting a Sliggoo.   
  
“Noticed!” Taylor replies, the strain evident in her voice  
  
Your eyes dart around the clearing. Arwen and Nibbler are tag-teaming the Goodra, purple dragon flames licking over half of its body as it lashes out in pain, but Nibbler is obviously bruised and limping. There are scattered parts of four or five Goomy, burned or torn apart by your Pokemon’s attacks, and three of the Sliggoo are down. “No, Brutus! Spit that out!” The Marshtomp looks over to you, a Goomy wiggling in his jaws, before it starts glowing green. Brutus's dim eyes roll back as he collapses, but bites down as he falls, biting through the slug. The green light flickers out as the Goomy dies. “Dumb mud-puppy.” you mutter as you recall Brutus to his Capsule.   
  
A bolt of lightning has you blinking away lights, but it doesn't seem to have much effect on the targeted Sliggoo, although Gaius's follow-up with a spiked rock club sends it flying, odd fluids seeping from the spiraling growth on its back. Iris swoops out of mid-air, breathing purple dragon-fire, before biting a large chunk out of the slug's back, before returning to make a swooping attack run on a pair of clustered Goomy.   
  
“Arwen, Fairy Lights!” Taylor yells, and you spin to spot the Gardevoir spinning in mid-air, star-like motes of light flying from her fingertips and the red horn jutting from her chest, before homing in on the Goodra. The lights stick to the slimy dragon for a moment, before flaring and exploding in flashes of rainbow light. The Goodra releases an agonized burble, before collapsing to the ground in a molten heap, its flesh molding together into a blob of purple flesh.   
  
Churchill appears by your side in a blur of orange. {We got them all.} He signs.   
  
“Any issues?” You ask, glancing at the Grovyle. He's panting, exhausted.   
  
{Tough.} He replies. {Not strong, but took lots to kill.}  
  
“Yeah.”   
  
“Rachel, look.” Taylor's voice is worried.  
  
There's a sound like thick stew bubbling, and you turn to spot the Goodra's remains roiling and plopping, before splitting off into dozens of tiny Goomy, the size of softballs, that scatter, rolling and oozing. Fortunately, they seem to be avoiding your Pokemon, although Iris snarfs down two or three of the miniature slugs.   
  
Gradually, the dragon slugs disappear into the trees, and you plop down on a fallen log. “Well, that sucked...”   
  
Taylor glances at Nibbler, who is tearing into the remains of a Sliggoo and chowing down messily, then back to you. “Yeah.”  
  
You pull out a bag of jerky and pass some to Tully and Gaius, before taking a slice for yourself. Angelica trots over, smelling of smoke, and plops down across your feet. Smiling, you toss her another chunk of preserved meat. It's still drizzling, and a check of your Pokepedia shows that it's after two in the afternoon. “Do you feel any better about the area?”  
  
Taylor sighs, and takes a seat on a log opposite you, catching a Pecha that Arwen telekinetically tosses her way. “Not really. I think we can handle it, but it doesn't make me any less nervous about having this big jungle by our base.”  
  
Iris lands beside you, nuzzling against your leg. She has a noticeable bulge in her mid-section from gorging on Goomy, but you scratch behind her ear-fin anyway. “Two of mine got hurt, at least a bit.” You murmur. “And we're limited on medical supplies.”  
  
“But we can't paralyze ourselves. If we stay here too long, we're going to die eventually.” Your friend waves a hand around the clearing dismissively. “Well, not here, here, but in the base.”  
  
“Yeah.” You take a bite of the jerky, chewing while you think. “Want to take a day or so to recover, then try to explore above the cliff?”  
  
< _I think I can help with that._ > Tully remarks.   
  
You glance around the scorched clearing. The rain has doused the last of Angelica's flame, and the only Goomy in sight are minding their own business. “Let's wait til we get home.”  
  
“To the base.” Taylor states coolly.  
  
“To the base.” You correct yourself.  
  
  
  
Naturally, it's only thirty minutes later that you're attacked by a massive Emboar, who comes careening out from between trees, flames billowing from its face and shoulders like a banner as it knocks a pair of trees aside. The Emboar bellows, and Gaius lunges forward, giving a matching bugle. “Gaius, careful! He can really hurt you!” You call, your mind racing. Emboar is Fire/fighting, so, with Brutus down…   
  
“I've got him. Arwen, Psybeam.” Taylor snaps. Arwen cups her hands in front of the horn on her chest, and a beam of scintillating teal light bursts out at the massive pig. It hits him right between the eyes, and he blinks, confused, before stumbling to one knee, flames flickering weakly as blood starts to pour from his ears and nose. Taylor casually tosses a Capsule, and the Emboar disappears in a flash of red light, shortly followed by the chime of a successful capture.  
  
“Not bad.” You comment, taking a deep breath to calm your racing pulse. “Fire/Fighting is a bad one for me.”  
  
Taylor glances your way with a smile. “Bad against Gaius, Church, Tully, Angelica, and Mab. Your options would have been Brutus, who might have a chance, if you use him well, and Iris, who doesn’t have any effective moves against a Pokemon that size.”  
  
“Yeah.” You reply flatly, a bit offended at her tone, which had definitely drifted to the condescending.  
  
“Sorry.” Taylor's cheeks flush when she sees your expression. “You knew that.” She takes a breath. “I just...”  
  
“You had a win, wanted to show off.”  
  
She scratches her head sheepishly. “Yeah.”   
  
“It's OK. I trust you, you know that?”  
  
“Thanks.” Taylor grins. “So, he's going to die about five to ten minutes after we release him from the capsule, that Psybeam pulped his brain like Gaius stepping on a Pecha.” The grin goes feral. “Want some barbeque?”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Back at your base camp, while Taylor works to clean and dress the Emboar corpse, with a focus on getting his thick hide off in one piece so she can turn it into leather later, you summon your two injured Pokemon. Brutus is just exhausted, the Goomy's grass-based energy absorption attack was interrupted before it actually wounded him, but Mab is worse off. Her wounds aren't fatal, but in addition to her right fore-leg, which is badly broken, she has broken ribs, and several jammed joints in her tail. She whimpers as you gently stroke her ears. “It'll be OK, Mab.” You murmur, before delicately aligning her front leg and splinting it with some bandages.   
  
Tully trots over and kneels in front of the little fox. < _Want me to try to heal it?_ > He asks with a soft whine.   
  
“I thought you were only really up to soothing pulled muscles, that kind of thing?”   
  
The Lucario nods reluctantly. < _Yeah. But it can't hurt, right?_ >  
  
You're not sure, but you nod anyway. Tully cups his paws over Mab's wounded leg, and they start glowing with Aura, starting off steady, then flickering faster and faster until the light seems to pulse and waver so frequently that you nearly feel it, rather than see the change in intensity. The Lucario pants with exertion, but can't maintain the output for long, collapsing back on his hindquarters. He shakes his head. < _I can't. Not yet._ >  
  
“It's OK, Tully.” You reply. As you mull over your options, your brow furrows. Pokemon heal quickly, so without any medicine, if you leave her out of her Capsule, Mab should be healed fully after about a week, but that would mean leaving her here, and either staying with her or leaving her unattended. Or, you can use one of your five regular regenerative injectors, which should have her back on her feet in a couple of days. Using a Panacea would be a waste, and you don't seriously consider it. “Mab, you need to be careful, girl.” The Vulpix whimpers, and licks your hand. “I know that it was just a dumb slug, but it was still a dragon and you got too cocky.”  
  
“Are you talking to your Pokemon again?” Taylor asks from behind you. She smells strongly of blood – Tully starts drooling.   
  
“I think that's why they all start talking back.” You reply lightly, and Tully nods.  
  
Taylor snorts, and you hear her walking over to the rain basin. “The Emboar gave us a lot of meat, and I need to do some smoking and leather working so that it isn't ruined.”  
  
< _Can you make bacon?_ > Tully barks excitedly.  
  
“Not without a lot of salt for brining, from what I recall.” Taylor replies as she steps into view.   
  
< _Awwww…._ > Ears drooping, Tully slumps in a picture of utter dejection. You can't help snorting in amusement.  
  
“So, you're wanting to explore above, after a couple of days of prep?”  
  
“Yeah. We'll have plenty of supplies. I want to take our tents, too, so that we can make camp if we need to.”  
  
You nod. “Makes sense.” Gingerly, you set Mab on the ground, and push yourself up from the ground with a groan. “Let's make the most of the time, then.”


	9. Chapter 9

The cliff face isn't sheer, the craggy surface and clinging roots and vines providing hand and footholds, although the near-constant rain has many of those places deceptively slick. Despite that, you are able to scramble up with only a couple of heart-stopping moments where your fingers slip and you nearly fall, only saved by the rope Churchill tied around the towering tree at the summit of the cliff. Scrambling over the barrel-sized roots at the base of the forest giant, you look around. The forest is thinner up here, with less dense brush between trees that seem to be a little shorter and thinner than the ones down below, although there are still some that loom high overhead, broad canopies spreading over their shorter brethren. The ground seems well trampled and what few bushes can be seen are obviously well-chewed and cropped, with numerous game trails weaving around and between trees.   
  
“It's clear!” You call, and pull out the Capsules holding Gaius and Acey. The Raichu chirps as she appears, catching herself in mid-air, before nuzzling your cheek. The static has your hair standing on end until you slick it back. It's sunny this morning, after a long rainstorm overnight, and the air is hot and muggy. “Ok, Acey, I need you to scout the area. Fast and high, and if there's anything dangerous, come back and sound the alarm.” The Raichu squeaks happily, and you get the mental impression of eagerness, with a dash of joy that lifts your spirits slightly.   
  
As Acey swoops off to the northeast, flying over one of the largest game trails – which is worryingly large – Tully drops out of the branches of the vast tree overhead. < _She's eager this morning._ > He comments, as Churchill emerges from the foliage of a tree a few feet away.  
  
“Yeah, but she's always in a good mood.” At your statement, Gaius nods with an agreeing rumble. “It's infectious, frankly.”  
  
{Worse things to catch.} Churchill snarks. He glances at the rope, twitching as Taylor climbs, and furtively signs {Friend ok?}  
  
You wobble your head noncommittally, fingers twitching into sign of your own. You're not as fluent as the Grovyle, but you're passable. {Misses family. Angry.}  
  
Churchill nods in understanding, and then his head snaps to the side as Arwen appears in a flash of Teal light, an Oran clutched between her cupped hands. She pokes the fruit nervously, and peels off the rind, only for the liquified interior to spill to the ground. <Aww...> The Gardevoir groans.  
  
“Getting closer, though.” You hear a grunt from your partner, and wave for Gaius. “Hold tight, Tay, we're pulling you up.” Gaius's strength soon has Taylor standing on the cliff edge with you, brushing off her hands. You wind up the rope and stow it in your backpack, before shrugging it onto your shoulders. “You ready?”  
  
“Yeah.” Taylor replies with a nod. Her eyes flit over your Pokemon as you summon Angelica from her Capsule. “Acey scouting?”  
  
“Yep. I sent her to the northeast. Thought we should check out the lake first.”  
  
<No big Pokemon nearby. Less bugs than below.> Arwen reports.  
  
< _Monkeys in the high trees_ > Tully chimes in. < _They're not interested in coming down, though._ >  
  
Your brow furrows. “They scared of us, or something else?” The broadest game trail, easily wide enough to allow one of the PRT Ranger's few electric Jeeps, if you were willing to accept the inevitable suspension damage, looms in your mind.   
  
Arwen shrugs. <No fear. Just caution.>  
  
“I think we can take that to mean that there are some predators down here.” Taylor states.  
  
“There are the Rampardos, if nothing else. I doubt that will be all.” You shake your head. “Still, let's get going. To the lake?”  
  
“To the lake.” Taylor confirms.  
  
Acey swoops out of the tree-line, bouncing on the board-like end of her tail. You get an impression of something large, slow, and peaceful ahead, closer to the water's edge. “So it looks safe?” The Raichu chirrups, and does a loop in midair in apparent assent. “Ok, then, let's go.”  
  
  
  
It really is a pleasant day, despite the humidity. The canopy far overhead keeps the bulk of the sunlight off you, casting dappled shadows of green and gold. Birds are singing merrily in the trees – you spot a cluster of brightly colored songbirds spinning in synchronized dance before flying away, and a massive Toucannon gives you a brief scare when it swoops across the game trail you are taking, before flapping away with a loud cackle. Angelica bounces ahead happily, sniffing at trails before returning, whip-like tail wagging. Even Taylor is relaxing somewhat. You hadn't realized how much the constant rain had affected her moods, but she's standing straighter now, murmuring softly to Fuzzbutt under her breath, as the Joltic perches on her shoulders waving its fuzzy forelegs.   
  
After about an hour of walking along the broad trail, the trees start to spread out further, and you eventually emerge on the overgrown, soggy banks of a broad lake. < _In the water._ > Tully yips softly, and you spot them a moment later, blue and red fins, poking up from the murky water. Croconaw, at least two of them. They seem to be ignoring you, though. There's a rumble to your left, and you turn. Your breath catches in your chest. Stepping out of the trees is a massive, royal blue, Pokemon, four legs like tree-trunks holding it far enough off the ground that you could walk underneath and only just touch its belly with your fingertips. From its long neck, held high overhead, billows a pair of ethereal fins, shimmering in the light like the northern lights, fluttering like a flag in a gentle breeze, and a line of frost crystals, steaming with vapor, glisten along its flanks. Large placid eyes meet yours as it gently chews on a massive tree branch, hanging out of its mouth, and then it obviously dismisses you as a threat.   
  
You hear Taylor's quiet gasp as the Pokemon regally steps towards the lake, bending slowly to take huge gulps of water. It's almost surprising that the creature isn't lowering the water level with each mouthful. Another Aurorus steps out of the forest behind it, about ten feet shorter, but still ludicrously massive. Smaller Pokemon, these with much smaller fins but still obviously the couple's young dance around its feet. It takes you a moment to realize that each of those baby Amaura are taller than Taylor.   
  
“Wow.” You whisper, keeping your voice low out of a mixture of awe and instinct. You raise your arm, flipping up the camera on your Pokepedia and starting to record the herd of Pokemon.  
  
“I want one,” Taylor moans. “But there's no way we can capture one without upsetting the herd.”  
“Nope. If it comes up, we have eight unused Capsules.”  
  
“Seven.” Taylor corrects you. “You have that baby Tropius.”  
  
You blink. Funny, how you forget about things like that. “Anyway, let's move on.” Taking one last look at the Aurorus, you turn and walk away from them, picking your way over roots and around bushes. Your team follows quietly, keeping their eyes open. Gradually, the trees draw away from the lake, broadening out into an overgrown, marshy area, waist-high grass and reeds waving gently in the wind. The lake is a broad, irregular depression, and now that you have a better perspective on it, you spot a lone island in the middle, with a thicket of thin trees grown up around the edge of the oblong sand bar. As you watch, a pair of finned Pokemon the size of small cars with white, bony armor, swim in formation around the island like an honor guard, occasionally scooping Basculin out of the water and swallowing them whole.   
  
“Look.” Taylor whispers, tapping you on the shoulder and pointing away from the lake. About 100 yards away, you see a lone Pokemon, butter yellow and the size of a bulldozer, with a massive frilled head bristling with horns and tusks. It looks like a Triceratops got in a headbutting contest with a mountain, and lost – eventually. As you watch, the Bastiodon scoops up a swath of grass four feet wide in its broad, tusked mouth and masticates slowly.   
  
“Big guy.” You remark with a smirk.  
  
“This place is fascinating!” Taylor whispers excitedly. “Have you ever read 'The Lost World'?”  
  
“The what?”  
  
“Classic literature. A British explorer discovers a plateau in South America that has living dinosaurs.”  
  
Huh. “That's oddly on the nose….”  
  
Taylor grins. “I know! It may have huge ramifications on science as we know it!”  
  
“Because either there were dinosaurs already here, and the Event changed them...” You say slowly.  
  
“Or the Event created Pokemon based on our fossil record as a literary reference!” Taylor concludes.  
  
That… You frown. There have always been people claiming that the Event could only happen due to a deliberate act. Religious types, claiming that Pokemon were a divine blessing or curse. There wasn't anything definitive, and researchers were heavily divided on the subject. You hadn't formed an opinion on it, figuring that it doesn't really matter, but…  
  
“Let's focus on getting back to tell the tale.” You finally state, watching the massive Pokemon chew another mouthful of plants, ignoring the dirt and mud that come up with the roots. Idly, you snap a photograph of the creature.  
  
< _Look!_ > Tully yelps softly, pointing beyond the Bastiodon. The reeds on the far side of the huge pokemon are shaking unnaturally. It turns its head with a grunt, the visible eye narrowing.  
  
<Uh oh> Arwen says, looking around suddenly.  
  
“What?” Taylor hisses. You glance at Gaius, his steel armor shining in the light, and swear internally.  
  
<Predators.> The Gardevoir replies. <Clever. Hungry.>  
  
“Sapient?” You whisper.  
  
<No. Like wolves.>   
  
Suddenly, there's a loud jangle, like pots and pans banging together, and a Pokemon leaps out of the reeds, hissing and brandishing sharp claws. It's yet another dinosaur, this one standing on two strong legs, with a pair of sturdy arms and a long, whip-like tail. Its body is festooned with hard scales the size of dinner plates, which ring like steel gongs when they impact each other. As the Bastiodon turns to face it head-on, lowering its head, you spot the grass rippling as another three of the smaller predators slink out of the grass behind it. The first Hakamo-o rattles its scales together and screeches, the air flickering black in front of its mouth. With an angry bellow, the Bastiodon charges, the ground trembling unnaturally with each thunderous footsteps. That was its last mistake.  
  
The three Hakamo-o in the tall grass leap out, the broad scales on their arms glowing with red Fighting energy, and in flashes of red light, the much smaller dinosaurs hamstring the massive herbivore. Something tells you that there's some kind of type weakness going on there… Maybe it's Rock-type? Steel? As the Bastiodon collapses to the ground, bellowing in pain, the first Hakamo-o leaps over its head to land on its side, before starting to dig into its rib-cage with glowing claws, muddy brown blood flying everywhere.  
  
“Let's get out of here.” You whisper, resting your hand on Gaius's capsule.  
  
< _OOOOhhh shit._ > Tully whimpers, and you turn to look at him. The Lucario points, and you see the grass rippling as something moves through it, coming towards you.   
  
Your heart leaps into your throat. “Gaius, return.” You bark, and return him to the Capsule, just in time for the raptor that leaps out of the grass to pass through the space where he was, Acey swerving away in mid-air as her perch disappears in a flash of red light. Angelica wheels, spitting a fireball, but a spinning arm, covered in round scales, bats the fireball away. The name insinuates itself into your mind as the Pokemon levels sharp yellows eyes on yours. Kommo-o. The raptor shakes its head, the headdress of scales rattling loudly as the chains of circular plates on its hips whip back and forth, and you hear answering jangling and rattling as the quartet of Hakamo-o ripping into the Bastiodon abandon their grisly feast.  
  
The Kommo-o prowls around you, jingling and jangling with each step. In a heartbeat, the Hakamo-o join it, cycling in different directions, so you can't see them all at once. Your back hits Taylor's, and you grit your teeth. Angelica growls, Churchill hisses and flexes his claws, and Tully's paws shift into a strong martial arts stance.  
  
<Dragons.> Arwen finally whispers into your mind. <They're dragons.>  
  
“Well, it's been nice knowing you.” You whisper to Taylor. You can feel the pulse pounding in your neck.  
  
“Fuck that.” She snarls, and pulls out Nibbler's Capsule.  
  
You feel your lips split in a feral grin. She's right. “It's fucking on.”  
  



	10. Chapter 10

“Acey, Psystun! Keep them off balance!” You bark, pointing at the Kommo-o with one hand as your other drops to Mab's Capsule. The Raichu gives a high-pitched squeal of rage, and a flickering cone of expanding yellow rings lances out at the scaly dragon. The Kommo-o stumbles, eyes going unfocused for a split second, then it straightens, letting out an angry howl, one that is echoed by the smaller Hakamo-o. You hurriedly summon Mab, Iris, and Brutus, noticing out of the corner of your eye as Taylor pulls out Nibbler and Specter.   
  
“Mab, Ic-” Your order is interrupted by a lunging raptor, and you stumble out of the way, Angelica intercepting the attacking Hakamo-o with a headbutt to the ribs. Tully jumps in, slamming its gaping mouth shut with a rising, Aura-wreathed punch to the lower jap, the spike on the back of his paw sparking off a protective scale.   
  
“Arwen! Hard and fast, don't get hit!” Taylor snaps out, and Arwen pops out of existence in a flash of teal, only to reappear behind the Kommo-o, the star-like motes of Fairy Lights already flying from her fingertips. The dragon snarls, and slams its scale-covered arms, glowing with red light, into the ground, sending it high into the air. Arwen's attack follows it, spiraling and ringing like tiny bells.   
  
You rip your attention away, only to spot a Hakamo-o lunging at Mab. The tiny Vulpix's eyes glint blue, and the dragon veers away, swinging glowing red claws at Churchill, who is sitting motionless, glints of sunlight beginning to gather on his orange hide. “Mab, Iris, get the Hakamo-o! Stay out of reach!” Iris bugles, and as Acey traps a Hakamo-o in another cone of debilitating psychic energy, she breathes out a cone of billowing purple Dragonfire. The raptor-like dragon shrieks in pain, and Mab darts in, her tails bristling with icy daggers that she flicks into its unprotected belly. On an impulse, you hurl an empty Capsule at the wounded Hakamo-o.   
  
< _Mistress, duck!_ > Tully barks, and you drop to the ground, just in time for an arc of Aura to blast overhead, sending scales the size of plates flying off another Hakamo-o. Angelica howls, and the intense, blue-white cone of her Blowtorch attack sears into the wound. Despite the dragon's resistance, its flesh starts smoking, and it wheels away, slashing at your Houndoom with a tail wreathed in purple flame. Angelica dodges the attack, and you push yourself to your feet, scooping up the Capsule you threw, now holding the wounded Hakamo-o. You shove it in a pocket, then glance at the field, where Arwen and the Kommo-o are entangled in a deadly dance, sunlight glinting off green hair and golden scales.   
  
Dozens of shed scales lie scattered in the trampled grass, but other than that, the larger raptor appears unscathed, dodging beams and flickering motes of light, or knocking them out of the air with slashes of red or purple energy. As you watch, a flash of red light, molded into the shape of an oversized claw, lashes out at the Gardevoir. Arwen teleports out of the way with a flick of her skirt, but you can tell that she's visibly exhausted, the horn on her chest heaving as she pants. You glance at Taylor, but she's focused on Specter, the Misdreavus harrying a pair of Hakomo-o with hurled bolts of flickering, black and purple energy and snickering as their replying attacks pass through her incorporeal form. As one of the Hakomo-o lunges for her, claws wreathed in purple, an inferno of indigo dragon-fire explodes underneath it, sending it tumbling, shrieking and clawing at itself. Nibbler erupts from underground, claws flashing, and in a heartbeat, the second Hakomo-o's intestines are steaming on charred, trampled grass. The Gabite gives a triumphant roar, raising its bloody muzzle to the sun.   
  
Behind you, Angelica yelps, and there's a loud _splat_. You spin, and see Angelica pushing herself off the ground, Brutus coughing up thick globs of mud at the spluttering Hakomo-o, the raptor desperately scrabbling at its eyes to try and clear the gunk. Acey nails it with a Psystun, and the dragon goes immobile, falling sideways to hit the ground with a crash of clanging scales. You hurl another Capsule, but as soon as you do, Taylor screams.  
  
You turn, just in time to see Arwen drop to her knees, clutching at a deep wound on her gut, already gushing pinkish blood. The sunlight beats down on you harshly, casting deep shadows on the glowing eyes of the Kommo-o, stalking forward slowly, its claws trailing ribbons of ruby light. Behind you, you hear Churchill hiss angrily, and the shadows move. He steps around you, orange hide limned in golden sunlight, blazing so intensely you can barely look at him. The Kommo-o glares at the smaller Grovyle, and almost seems to sneer as the scales on the back of each paw, easily the size of dinner plates, start glowing purple. It bashes the scales together, and there's a pulse of noise that nearly deafens you, a shockwave exploding away from it and making the grass billow. The purple glow intensifies, and Churchill cups his claws at his waist, the golden glow covering his form flowing down his arms to pool and cycle between his talons.  
  
 _Crash!_  
  
The Kommo-o bashes its scales together again, and this time, the shockwave is tinted with purple flame, grass smoldering and billowing. Iris shrieks and swoops over the wave, and Nibbler dives beneath the earth. You spot Arwen disappearing in a flash of red as Taylor recalls her to her capsule. The miniature sun in Churchill's claws spins faster and faster.  
  
 ** _CRASH!_**  
  
The edges of Churchill's armor start smoldering, but the veteran Grovyle ignores it, drawing and stretching the orb of golden light until he clutches a gleaming sword of condensed solar energy. The Kommo-o roars, and takes a step closer, clapping his clawed hands together.  
  
 **BOOM!**  
  
An intense cone of purple flame and sound erupts from the dragon's palms, and Churchill disappears in a blur of orange and gold.  
  
Silence reigns.  
  
The Kommo-o snarls, then its eyes go wide as it clutches at its right shoulder. As its arm drops to the ground, Churchill appears behind it, swinging his Solar blade. The Kommo-o's head goes flying, and your loyal Grovyle is consumed in glowing white light.  
  
“Way to go, Churchill!” You cheer, as the evolving Pokemon touches down lightly. When the light fades, Churchill stands tall enough to meet your eye. His orange hide is now streaked with reflective gold stripes, trailing up his arms and legs to link on his back, meeting a broad stripe that trails down his spine. The leaf-blades on his wrists are replaced by a pair of shorter, bony blades, but as you watch, he flexes and folds them against his forearms. Churchill's long tail is capped by a quartet of broad, triangular, fins, making it look like a bright orange fir tree, streaked with golden veins. As you watch, the fins fold flat, and the Sceptile lashes his tail eagerly.   
  
{Finally!} Churchill beams, his nimble claws flitting in sign. His grin is full of needle-like teeth, but you match it as best you can.   
  
< _Congratulations._ > Tully barks.  
  
After confirming with a glance that your foes are defeated – two captured, three slain – you glance at Taylor. “Arwen ok?”   
  
Your friend already has the Gardevoir's capsule plugged into her Pokepedia. “She's got a bad gut wound. If she wasn't so resistant to fighting type damage...”  
  
“She's going to need a Panacea, isn't she?”  
  
“Yeah.” Taylor murmurs, fishing one of the injectors out of her backpack. “I'll take care of her.”  
  
You turn to your newly evolved Sceptile. “Church, gather up as many of those armor plates as you can. They may be useful later.” Churchill nods, and trots over to some of the grass that's still standing to make a bag. “Tully, see if there's any meat that can still be salvaged from the Hakomo-o.”   
  
< _Not much._ > The Lucario deadpans, and you look over at the downed Pokemon. Nibbler and Iris obviously had the same thought, and are feasting away. As you watch, Iris's jaw unhinges and she gulps down a chunk of meat and gore larger than her head, purple flames cooking it as it starts to slide down her throat. She's already visibly engorged from her meal, and Nibbler's liberally covered in blood from his messy feast.   
  
“We'll leave them to it.” You decide.  
  
< _Good idea_ >  
  
Arwen reappears in a flash of red light and a psychic shriek of agony that leaves you wincing, your hand going to your gut in sympathy, but Taylor is ready, slamming the needle from the Panacea into the Gardevoir's shoulder. As the injector starts with a hiss, Arwen's red eyes flutter shut, and the gash in her stomach starts to steam and writhe. Your gut churns, and you look away, towards the lake, your eyes resting on the island in the middle.  
  
< _Something's there._ > Tully whispers.  
  
“You sense it?”  
  
He nods slowly, psychic lobes twitching and glowing faintly. < _It's a massive presense. Like..._ > Tully pauses, thinking. < _Like the sun, or the ocean. Or the forest. So big, it's hard to see._ >  
  
“That's… Not good.” You murmur. The line of thin trees on the island rustle, then subside.  
  
< _It's weaker, now._ >  
  
“I'm not sure that's a good thing.”   
  
< _It's not._ >  
  
Taylor comes up behind you. “What's going on?”  
  
< _There's a massive presence on that island, but it's getting weaker._ > Tully barks softly. < _And Rachel wants to investigate._ >  
  
Taylor's head snaps over to you, brow furrowed. “You what?”  
  
You shrug. “Why else would we be here?”  
  
Taylor snarls. “We're here because one incomprehensibly powerful Pokemon decided to warp us halfway around the fucking globe, and you want to poke your nose in on another one?” She spins on her heel and stalks away. Glancing back at the lake, you follow her.  
  
“What if that Pokemon sent us here to help?” Taylor ignores you, kneeling beside Arwen, who is sleeping, laid out on a mat of grass. The Gardevoir is sweating, the wound on her gut sealed now, a line of angry red on her white skin. Acey has tucked herself under Arwen's arm, and is nuzzling into her chest, cooing gently. “What if helping lets us go home?” You murmur.  
  
“What if it sent us out here for its own goddamn amusement?” Taylor yells. She glares at you, tears starting to well in her eyes. “How many times have we almost fucking died since we got here? How many times have our Pokemon almost died?”  
  
“I-”  
  
“No. You may not have anyone waiting on you, but I do.” Taylor cuts you off. “We can't afford risking ourselves before we get home to satisfy your curiosity.” She glances down at Arwen, then glares at you.  
  
You sigh, and settle on the ground, cross-legged. Angelica trots up and curls around your back. After sitting in silence for a while, watching Arwen's wound gradually fade to a thin, white scar, you speak up. “I'm sorry.”  
  
Taylor is silent, fingers idly scratching Raid's brow ridges. The Ivysaur leans into her touch.   
  
“I want to go home too.” You murmur. “I just…” There's a jangle as Churchill puts a metallic scale in a large bag, and you shake your head. “I've got a feeling. Like it's important.”  
  
Taylor snorts derisively. “A feeling.”  
  
“Yeah.”   
  
< _A calling._ > Tully says softly. < _It's calling for us. That's why it's been howling._ >  
  
“And that doesn't strike you as suspicious?”   
  
“Yeah, it does.” You admit. “But the way I see it, is that we could have died back in Brock Town.”  
  
“Mmm.”  
  
“We risked our lives every time we went outside of town. The Onix. The Magnemite Swarm.” You shoot her a glance. “And against the Bloodwolves.” Taylor winces. “We live in a dangerous world. We can't avoid every risk.”  
  
“That doesn't mean we have to go wandering off into danger and pestering something your own Pokemon described as being as powerful as the fucking sun.”  
  
< _Not quite what I said._ > Tully counters, but subsides at Taylor's glare.  
  
“Risk management, I understand.” You reply, and glance across the lake. You feel a breeze, and the faint cloud cover that is starting to drift in starts to accelerate, being pulled in a long finger of grey to loom and swirl over the lake. The trees begin to billow, bowing inward and rustling. It's not a breeze, you realize, but a vast intake of breath, so powerful that it affects the weather. The world stills, going utterly silent as the island itself seems to hold its breath. And then the howl begins.  
  
This close, this loud, it should be deafening. The sound fills the air around you, until you can't hear anything else, not even the little sounds of your own body. Despite that, it's not painful. It's beautiful. In your little home, dug into the cliff, you could hear the sorrow. Here, now, you can feel it, the wordless song of betrayal and pain and loneliness, the sense of utter loss – and the certain knowledge of an inevitable end.  
  
You feel dampness on your cheeks, and brush away a tear, looking at Taylor. She doesn't quite meet your eye, and slumps slightly, stroking Arwen's hair. Eventually, the howl fades. You don't say anything. You don't need to.  
  
“Fine.” Taylor sighs.  
  
“If you really think it's a bad idea...”  
  
“I do, but I think we need to do it anyway.” She glances at you. Her eyes are red-rimmed with suppressed tears. “I...”  
  
“It's ok.” You whisper. “You heard it this time.”  
  
“Yeah.” Standing, Taylor recalls Arwen to her Capsule. She's likely out of the fight until she can get more rest. The documentation on the Panacea indicated that it takes a lot of energy to accelerate the healing process. The two of you spend a couple of minutes gathering up and storing your Pokemon. Churchill stomps up, a bag – nearly as big as he is and bulging with dragon scales – slung over his back.   
  
{All I could find.} He signs, after letting the bag drop to the ground. He's touched up his armor as well, the laminated wooden plates not showing any of the char marks it had picked up from the Kommo-o's attack. Churchill glances over the lake, and rolls the stick around in his mouth. {We're going there?}  
  
“Yes. Any ideas?” You ask.  
  
The Sceptile tilts his head, considering. {Caution.} He signs, slowly. {Many fish, also those big Pokemon.}  
  
You frown, and start searching for the hard-shelled Pokemon. There. The pair of blue-skinned reptiles rounds the eastern edge of the island, swimming into view, heads held high and alert in the afternoon sun. The closer one, which seems to be a ligher shade of blue, turns its head slightly when it sees you, and slows, warbling to its companion. They turn, approaching the bank closest to you, about 100 feet away. “Tully, Acey.”  
  
< _They're curious. Not threatened._ > Tully yips immediately. Acey swoops overhead to hover just over your shoulder. The Lapras have large, intelligent eyes in heads the size of beachballs, rising eight feet out of the waves in front of shelled backs the size of small cars. The pair come to the shore, and start pulling themselves onto land with broad, powerful flippers. You start to walk closer, and the one with darker hide opens its mouth with a warbling cry, like whale song. Tully jumps. < _It speaks!_ >  
  
“What did it say?” You're not really surprised, it's just your luck.  
  
< _It wants to know what brings us to the lake?_ > Tully ventures, and the Lapras nods slowly.  
  
“We were stranded in the area, and heard the cries. We want to help.” You state, and Tully barks out an interpretation.  
  
The lighter Lapras waves you closer with a wave of a flipper and a short bow, and you cautiously approach. The sheer presence of these two Pokemon is… immense. Up close, they smell of fish and fresh waves, not foul, but incredibly wild and natural, mist billowing from each nostril as they breath. They're close enough to touch, now. The darker one warbles.  
  
[ **brave** ]  
  
You… You understood that. Is this Aura?  
  
“You're magnificent!” The words practically slip out.  
  
The lighter blue one huffs out a cloud of mist in a chuckle.  
  
[ **young** ][ **eager** ][ **questions** ][ **ask** ]  
  
You blink. Questions?   
  
“I can ask you questions?”  
  
The darker Lapras nods.  
  
[ **ask** ][ **answer** ][ **curiosity** ]  
  
Wow. Your eyes drift to the lake and the barrier of trees. Maybe…  
  
  
  



	11. Chapter 11

For a moment, you consider asking about the Pokemon that sent you to the Amazon, but you quickly realize that there's no way that these Lapras could know that. And asking silly questions wouldn't be a wise decision, you think. In the end, there's only one question you can ask. “What is the Pokemon at the center of the Lake?”   
  
The darker blue Lapras – you mentally dub it Azure – nods its head. [ **rivers** ][ **streams** ][ **rains** ]. Now that you are listening closely, its voice is slightly deeper as well, warbling like the recordings of whale song.  
  
“That's where it lives?” Taylor asks from your side. You jump a little, you didn't notice her approach.  
  
[ **no** ][ **all in one, one in all** ]  
  
“It is water?” You try.   
  
The lighter blue Lapras – Turquoise – nods, enormous eyes crinkling in pleasure as it trills a melody.[ **embodiment** ][ **incarnation** ][ **flesh** ]  
  
The incarnation of rivers, streams, and rain. A force of nature, embodied in a Pokemon. “It sounds like it's hurting so badly,” You murmur, and Azure nods in agreement. That's… That's kind of scary. You've heard of Kyrogre, of course, the massive legendary Pokemon has devastated coastal regions with its battles with Groudon. Now that you think about it, the other Legendary Pokemon that you've heard of – Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres – all seem to be more like forces of nature than Pokemon. Could the Pokemon on the island be another Legendary Pokemon? A little thrill goes through you, but then your gut sinks. What could hurt something that powerful? “Can you tell us what caused it's suffering, and how we can help?”  
  
The enormous Lapras blinks, translucent membranes flickering across its eyes. [ **help** ][ **kindness** ][ **surprise** ]  
  
Turquoise nudges Azure with a flipper, then looks back at you. [ **betrayal** ][ **imbalance** ]  
For a moment, she turns to look at the barrier of trees, which rustle gently in a steady breeze. [ **protection** ][ **concealment** ][ **suffering** ]  
  
“So how can we help?” You ask, your voice firm.  
  
Both Lapras stare at you for a long while. Eventually, Azure gives the impression of a shrug, along with a flat bleat. [ **unknown** ]  
  
Figures. Still, these Pokemon seem to respect whatever is concealed on the island. Respect it enough to patrol around it as obvious honor guards.  
  
“May we cross the lake?” You ask softly. “To see if we can help?”  
  
Azure's eyes narrow as it snorts out a puff of icy mist. [ **no** ][ **protection** ][ **duty** ]  
  
[ **suffering** ][ **aid** ] Turquoise counters.  
  
[ **danger** ][ **caution** ]  
  
[ **stagnation** ][ **nature** ][ **freedom** ]  
  
Azure's eyes close in thought, and then he slowly nods. [ **understanding** ]  
  
Turquoise trills in victory, and shakes her shell, sending droplets of water dancing through the afternoon sun.   
  
“So you'll help us?” Taylor whispers  
  
The darker Lapras meets your eyes for a long moment, then gazes back at the island. [ **trial** ][ **worthy** ]  
  
Turquoise shoots him a glance, but nods in agreement. [ **protection** ]  
  
You turn to Taylor with a weak grin. “Looks like we're making a boat.”   
  
She rolls her eyes, but nods. “Leave your tent, I'll set up camp. We're going to need to wait until morning.”   
  
< _I'll help._ > Tully chimes in with a soft bark.   
  
It's only a short walk back to the edge of the jungle, Angelica leading, with Gaius and Churchill by your sides. You glance over at the orange Sceptile, sunlight glinting off his golden stripes. He has an odd expression on his face – equal parts contentment and intense concentration – and his mouth keeps twitching around the wooden stub in his mouth. “You ok, Church?”   
  
The Sceptile's claws twitch in reply. {Feel odd.} His tailfins rustle, spreading, then folding again. {The sun tastes good.}  
  
“It tastes good?” You tease, and Churchill rolls his eyes.   
  
{Best word I know. Feels warm, tastes rich.} He closes his eyes and breathes in deeply, and his golden stripes flare.  
  
“You evolved holding a Solar Blade.” You muse. “It may have done something odd.”  
  
In a flare of golden light, the pair of bony blades at Churchill's wrists blaze into golden life, extending two feet out from his forearms, before vanishing. {Easy now. No time to charge.} The Sceptile grins toothily. {Very strong now.}  
  
“That's great! We can certainly use it.” Your expression flattens, and Gaius puts an enormous claw on your shoulder. Drawing comfort from the contact, you smile. “Thanks.”  
  
{Worried.} Churchill signs with a hiss. {About Pokemon in lake?}  
  
“Yeah. I want to help...” You murmur, eying up some of the shorter trees at the edge of the forest. “But sometimes, creatures that are hurting can lash out.”  
  
Gaius nods with a rumbles, and brandishes the steel claws on his other hand.   
  
“And even wounded, this thing is so strong...” You point at a tree, easily forty or fifty feet tall, and over a foot in diameter at the base. “Think that would be a good start for a raft?”  
  
Churchill eyes the tree for a moment, then scales it in a flash of gold-streaked orange. His wrist-blades flare into green light – he's not using his solar blades for some reason – and three thick branches, each easily ten or fifteen feet long, fall to the ground with muted thuds. Gaius stomps over to the branches, and then stabs them into the ground in a patch of afternoon sunlight, positioned in a loose triangle. Churchill settles between them, crosslegged, the fins on his tail spread wide. He begins to glow in the sunlight, but rather than gathering and storing the solar energy, the golden light shifts to green plant-type energy and flows into the ground. The branches stir, growing straight and tall, becoming fully-fledged trees on their own, each the size of their parent tree, before their own smaller branches reach out and meld together, forming a triangular pavilion. On this network of branches, the leaves meld together into long sheets that drop to the ground, before the wood starts breaking and snapping, pegs and planks molded out of living wood falling to the ground, until all that remains is a pile of lumber. Churchill stands, swaying, and Gaius is by his side in a trio of long steps to catch him.  
  
“Wow...” You whisper, and glance up at the original tree. It doesn't show any signs of damage, with bark healed smoothly over where the branches once grew. You pick your way around the piles of boards and logs, “Churchill, that was amazing.” The Sceptile smiles around his cigar stick, but doesn't reply, obviously exhausted.   
  
Between you and Gaius, it's the work of only a few minutes to gather the lumber into bundles, tied by ropes and tarps. Churchill has recovered enough to grab one of the bundles, and you shoulder one as well, before Gaius heaves a mass of wood as large as he is onto his broad back. Together, you trek back to Taylor's little base camp, where she has the tents laid out in front of a small campfire, crackling merrily. Arwen is laid out on Taylor's sleeping bag, but her eyes are open, and she raises a hand in greeting wearily when you approach.  
  
<Hello hello>   
  
“Hey, feeling better?” You ask, dropping your bundle of boards. The sun is edging towards the horizon, but it looks like it's going to be a rare clear night.   
  
<Tired. Achy.> Arwen grouses, and Acey nuzzles her cheek. The Gardevoir jumps at the spark of static, and her green hair stands out in a halo for a moment, before she glows teal and it falls back into place. <Alive.>  
  
“We're all alive, Arwen.” Taylor says, from where she sits, staring at the fire. She's munching on some of the last of the Drowzee jerky, but shes seems calmer now than she was before. “Looks like you found enough wood.”   
  
You nod, rolling your shoulders. “Churchill grew them. Didn't take too long, either.” You glance at the Pokepedia on your wrist. Only about an hour til sundown. “C'mon, Church, Tully. Let's get this put together, while there's light.”  
  
  
  
Wiping your brow in the last orange rays of the sunset, you step back and look at your completed boat. Honestly, it's really impressive. You knew that Churchill was bright, but there's intelligent, and then there's shaping the parts for a flat-bottomed row-boat individually, complete with peg-holes to hold it together long enough for him to merge it into a single piece of wood, without plans or measurements. You make a mental note to not underestimate the Sceptile, and give him a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Great job.” Churchill preens a little, and the two of you watch Turquoise nudge the boat curiously with a flipper. The little boat is big enough to seat you, Taylor, and likely Arwen and Tully, although the rest of your Pokemon would have to stay in their Capsules.   
  
The sun slips under the treeline, leaving the island in the middle of the lake cast in twilight hues. The calls of evening birds and the rumbles of distant Aurorus slowly fade away. “I'm coming.” You whisper, and the trees seem to shiver. Shivering in turn, you return to the camp. Taylor has a small pot of hot Emboar and tuber soup simmering on the fire, and you grab a bowl, sipping at the broth and watching wispy clouds drift in front of distant stars. You glance over at your friend, currently helping Arwen sip at the soup. Angelica is gnawing at a bone, and Tully is spinning a plate-like scale on the back of his paw-spike, eyes distant as his claws chime on the scale. The little chores of camp life go by in silence, the island looming on your mind, and in the end, as Taylor goes to sleep and you summon the rest of your team so that they can get some rest, you take the first watch.   
  
To pass some of the time, you investigate the Hakomo-o that you captured, using the link on your Pokepedia. The first one you captured, a male, is in poor shape, with numerous burns from Iris's flames, and has a gash in his belly from Mab. Fortunately, it seems that his intestines weren't damaged, but you'll need to use a Panacea or wait until you get back to civilization and have access to a hospital before you can summon this one. You don't _think_ he'll die outside of the Capsule, but he won't be useful for a very long time. The second, a female, has some blunt trauma and bruising, as well as a broken snout, but it's otherwise in good health. A basic regenerative shot should take care of it, if you want to invest the time into training…   
  
A thought occurs, and you hurriedly pull up the genetic scans of both raptors. There are some similarities, but… You drum your fingers on your thigh. They aren't too closely related, according to the programs. A common ancestor a couple of generations ago, maybe? Pokemon were pretty resiliant to inbreeding, from what you recall. Your mind drifts back to that day on the beach, that seems so long ago. Churchill wanted to raise a family and uplift them to sapience. Tully wants to stop abusive training practices and forced evolutions. Both of those need money and space. Influence. You glance at the screen again. If – no, when – you get back home, then maybe you can settle down a bit. Being the only source of a rare breed of powerful Pokemon could get you what you need to fuel your Pokemon's ambitions. And yours.  
  
The rest of the night watch goes quickly, and once Taylor relieves you, you sleep soundly until dawn. A quick, cold breakfast later, and after packing up your tents, you are on your way, paddling gently across the lake, Azure and Turquoise flanking you as mist rises from the lake to match the overcast sky. It takes longer than you care to admit to get used to paddling the boat, but with a little coaching from Taylor, you make good time. After running your boat aground, and stepping out, you turn and bow to the Lapras. “Thank you.”  
  
Azure dips his head in acknowledgment, thin membranes flickering across his eyes. [ **brave** ][ **continue** ][ **steadfast** ] He warbles softly.  
  
[ **safety** ][ **compassion** ] Turquoise adds. Together, they bugle [ **farewell** ] and swim away. You watch them vanish into the mist.   
  
“Are you ready?” Taylor asks.   
  
You nod, and summon Gaius, Churchill, and Angelica. Acey and Tully are already out with you – the Raichu flew by your side, and Tully had ridden in the boat with you. With a chirp, Acey settles onto Gaius's shoulders. You turn to the trees, just a few paces ahead of you. The early morning is silent, the mist consuming all sound and making everything misty and gray. The trees are all tall and thin, branches woven together tightly, and between them are vines and bushes, until you can't see between them through the crowded brush. Something about it seems odd, but you can't put your finger on it. “Taylor, do the trees look odd to you?”  
  
The brunette looks up from where she's stroking Raid's petals, and studies the treeline. Her brow furrows. “They're too even. Too close together.”  
  
That's it. “It's almost a fence.”  
  
“How would a fence of trees hold back something as powerful as what Tully sensed?”  
  
The mist _pulses_ , and you turn. Behind you, standing on the far edge of the lake, stands an elegant deer, with blue and indigo fur, shimmering jewels adorning its fractal antlers in a rainbow of lights, each branch changing in the space between heartbeats, without ever seeming to move. It's far larger than its size indicates, seeming to loom like a mountain, even though the top of its head could only come up to your chin. The deer inclines its head, and the mist pulses again. Behind you, the trees groan, but you don't take your eyes off him. With the tap of one delicate foot, the Pokemon disappears, as if he was never there in the first place. Taylor, white as a sheet, takes a half-step forward. You can feel your hands trembling. “What… was that?” You croak.  
  
< _LIFE_ > Tully whines. < _The incarnation of all that is and will be._ > He shakes his head, then rubs his lobes, groaning. < _He's too loud. It hurt._ >  
  
You turn, and see a gap in the trees, where there was none, the wood drawn into an intricate weave of branches and flowering vines, wide enough for Gaius to walk through without ducking.  
  
“I think the door is open.” Taylor whispers.  
  
You step forward carefully, Angelica trotting by your side, ears up and alert. Beyond the tree line is a clearing, rising up into a gentle hill. At the crest of the hill is the stump of a massive tree, standing ten feet off the ground on a tangle of thigh-thick roots. In a hollowed out place underneath, something shifts. You take a step closer, and freeze as the Pokemon laboriously gets to its feet.   
  
She's tall and slender, a graceful hound the size of a horse, her coat sky-blue, with a mane like a purple cloud, billowing in an unseen breeze. A pair of ribbon-like tails curl and whip around her in that same breeze, and as she turns, you gasp. Under a bony crest of long, hexagonal tubes, you see one piercing blue eye – and one burned, scarred, and milky white. As the Pokemon steps closer, more wounds come into view, lichtenberg scars dancing in raw, oozing patterns along her neck and down her left foreleg and flank, where they gouge deep into muscle. Still, despite her obvious pain, the Pokemon raises her head and howls in challenge.   
  
Noise fills the world. Anger, pain, fear, defiance, all bound up in loneliness and the looming sense of oblivion. The Pokemon's howl echoes inside your head, and it's all you can do to stay upright, gritting your teeth. As the howl subsides, rain begins to fall, fat, cold drops in a sudden downpour that soaks you to the bone. Still, you grit your teeth and stare at the Pokemon. She sets her paws, ears twitching in pain, and glares back.   
  
She's so proud. You can see it. Smell it. Taste it. She's the streams, the rush of rivers tumbling, the rain. The racing storm to her twin brothers' thunder and leaping wildfire. Until the thunderbird was diminished, and its portfolio – its power – fell to her brother, and in a move she could not understand, could not anticipate, he lashed out. The wounds are far more than skin deep. Wounds to the heart, the soul, the body. He carved away a piece of her, and now, diminished, she lies trapped, surrounded by still waters and trapped in a cage that kills her, even as it protects her.  
  
A tear joins the rain. You take a step forward, not breaking eye contact. The rain intensifies, pouring down in heavy, frigid sheets, but you grit your teeth and take another step. You half expect thunder to roll, but no, that is her brother's power, not hers. Another step. The Pokemon is staring at you, confused. She's in pain, you can see it in her eyes. She needs to be free, needs to heal. You're in arm's reach. There's a contact on your thigh, and you know that it's Angelica, wet, miserable in the rain, but loyal. Shaking, you reach out a hand and stroke a pale blue cheek, and the Pokemon leans into your touch. Her name slips into your mind, and comes to your lips unbidden.   
  
“Suicune.”   
  
The rain stops. Suicune's leg trembles, but she stands, staring at you. You stroke her ears, letting your fingers trace behind the crest on her head and tangle in her mane. “I'm here to help.” She bows her head, and gently lowers herself to the ground. You take off your backpack and dig out the medical kit, looking over the contents. There are still three Panaceas left, and a handful of lesser regeneratives, as well as some clean bandages, but… You slowly shuffle over to the wound on Suicune's side. It's bad. Really bad. Closer up, it looks like multiple wounds, the tracing fractal burns of lightning strikes, with a quartet of deep claw wounds along her shoulder and ribs that seem to have been partially cooked, deep enough to show scratched bone, and badly infected, with pus seeping out from under scabbed, burned muscle.   
  
Taylor settles down beside you, opening her own medical supplies. “What do you think?” She asks softly.   
  
“It's an old wound. At least a couple of weeks.” You mutter, and Taylor stills.   
  
“Before we got here.”  
  
“Yeah, most likely.” You press your lips together. “Think I know why we're here...” Taylor nods, but says nothing. Pulling on a pair of gloves, you start cautiously probing the cuts. Suicune whimpers at your touch, but she stays immobile, muscles twitching. God, some of her ribs are nearly severed, with charred claw marks deep into the marrow. “Taylor, I don't know if we can fix this with just a Panacea.”   
  
“It helped Arwen.” Despite her words, Taylor seems to agree, she's just sounding you out.  
  
“Did you see what I saw?” You ask. She needs to understand.  
  
“No? You stared at her for a bit, then the rain stopped.”   
  
“Something like Aura, I think. Suicune helped me understand what happened. She's a legendary Pokemon, one of three that together embody rains and streams, thunderstorms and lightning, and wildfires. Something happened, and the thunderstorm one got a lot more power and attacked her. She was hidden away by that -” you shudder. “Terrifying deer thing, but while she's safe from her brother here, it's not letting her heal.”  
  
Taylor huffs and shakes her head. “So you think that some of her wounds are what, metaphysical?”  
  
“Maybe.” You admit. “But even beyond that, we're going to need to clean out the dead and cooked muscle, and clean out her infections.”  
  
“The Panacea may trap pockets of infections inside.” Taylor concludes.  
  
“Yeah.” You bite your lip, and your mind races.


	12. Chapter 12

Pinching the bridge of your nose, you close your eyes and try to concentrate. You have a nagging feeling about something….

“So if the deer thing hid Suicune here, does that mean that her brother could find her if we move her?” Taylor asks slowly.

“Shit.” Your teeth grind. That limits your options. There's no way that you can deal with something that powerful, not while trying to heal Suicune. Probably not after that, either. Your gut churns, and you chew on your lip. Ok, can't leave here, not until you're certain that Suicune is healthy enough to move and defend herself if her brother finds her. You idly stroke her neck, feeling the muscles tensing and twitching under her short, soft fur. “It's ok. We're going to help.” Something clicks. “Taylor, we have to stay here, but that doesn't mean that we can't change the island to help her heal better. Suicune _needs_ running water, and the rains that she has been calling don't seem to count.”

“So you want to what, cut a stream?”

“Yeah, some kind of water feature, so that at least some water is moving. We're going to need shelter for us as well, and a clean, dry place to work.”

Taylor nods sharply. “And we need the rest of our food and other supplies.” She taps on her chin in thought. “Didn't Tully say that Oran help heal Pokemon? We do have those bushes, and they grow quickly. Even quicker with Churchill and Raid helping.”

“Ok, so we need to retrieve our stuff from the cave, and set up here as a secondary camp.” You glance over your Pokemon. “Ok, I think I can send Churchill, Gaius, and Acey to pick up our stuff and harvest as many Oran as they can.”

“I can send Arwen with them, so she can pop back and forth if they have any questions.”

“That's good. Gaius and Acey can go pretty fast if they work together, or Church can carry them in their capsules.” Gaius nods, and taps the button on his Capsule, vanishing in a flash of red light. Churchill tucks the ball into a pouch on his armor, and then vanishes in a blur, Acey following him with a squeal of glee. Did? You grin. Churchill fucking _ran_ across the lake. He's faster than ever.

<Hey! Wait!> Arwen broadcasts indignantly, then vanishes in a flash of teal.

“Well, they're eager.” You mutter, glancing around. There's a flat area, just beyond the stump where Suicune had made her lair, that looks large enough to use as a foundation for a simple canopy. “Any thoughts on getting some water moving?”

“Well, if you just have Brutus dig a channel, I think that will move a bit, but only for long enough for the lake to fill it in.” Taylor muses. “We need some way to force the water to move uphill, so that gravity can do the rest...” She trails off, obviously deep in thought. “I want to say something with pipes and siphons, but that will need to wait until Gaius and Churchill get back to do some stone and wood shaping.”

“Makes sense. Tully, can you take a look at this with me?” The Lucario leans in closer to inspect Suicune's wound. His snout wrinkles.

< _It smells bad._ > Aura flickers up and down his sensory lobes, and he reaches out to gingerly probe around Suicune's wounds.

“That's likely infection.” You sniff as well, and catch a hint of foulness. “Yeah. I can smell it too.”

< _I was thinking about learning to heal with Aura._ > Tully whines, and you nod. < _But this is too much._ > He pauses, his paws on Suicine's flank, just behind the edges of her lightning wounds. < _It's warm._ >

Your fingers probe the same spot. It's almost uncomfortably warm to the touch and feels a little swollen “Yeah. That's an infection, I think.” You turn to your partner. “We're going to have to do a lot of work before we can give her a Panacea. Do you think Raid can sedate her?”

Taylor turns from where she's surveying the little island, and drums her fingers on one of the Capsules on her belt. “Maybe. We've worked out sleep and muscular paralysis powders. They may work.”

“Sounds like that's the best we have.” You state, and stroke Suicune's ears again. “It's ok. We're gonna help you get to feeling better soon.”

Remarkably, Churchill is back within an hour and a half, panting heavily, while carrying a large leaf bag on his shoulders. He tosses you Gaius's Capsule as Acey swoops in over the treeline, and drops the bag on the ground before picking out a woven basket full of ripe Oran. {Also have meat, tools, pots} He signs.

“Got it. Think you can make a pavilion in the middle of the island, like you did when you were making the boat?” You ask, and the Sceptile nods, the morning sun glinting off his golden stripes. “We're going to need a raised platform in the middle so that we can work on Suicune's wounds at a comfortable level.

{Understood.} Churchill signs. {Rest first, ran far.}

“You did great, thank you.” You withdraw Gaius from his Capsule. “Gaius, I need you to work with Brutus and dig a water channel that takes water from the lake and lets it flow and move in a stream, before going back into the lake. The goal is to make it move without forcing us to move it manually.” The Aggron nods slowly, his blue eyes narrowed in thought. “Think you got that?” Gaius wobbles a claw in mid-air. “Yeah, I know. But I think it's the only way we can help her recover properly.”

Within a couple of hours, Churchill has a living pavilion formed of four sapling trees, blended together into one interlinked organism, with a sturdy wooden table, topped with soft grass padding, growing out of the middle. {All live well after we leave.} He explains, as you wipe mud off your hands. {Not grow fast enough to hurt trees.}

“That's good.” You reply absently, looking at Gaius's handiwork. He's gone above and beyond. After a half-remembered lesson from Taylor on siphons and a significant amount of concentration, the Aggron had grown a stone tube deep underneath the island, coming out under the lake, before letting water pressure fill the tube so that it spilled out into a broad stone channel, the water splashing and dancing over carefully placed and shaped rocks until it flowed into a stream – dug out by an eager Brutus – to spill into the lake on the far side of the island. The sound of the flowing water is visibly soothing Suicune's tension, and you feel a faint flicker of hope.

You wash your hands in the stream, and bring Suicune a chunk of dried Tepig meat, which she eats gingerly. “Ok, Suicune, I think we're ready.” One of her ears flicks, and you get a sense of understanding. “We're going to get you on the table and then we're going to help you sleep. While you're asleep, we're going to try and get all the bad stuff out, and then give you some medicine that should help you heal.” Suicune looks at you, and while she doesn't seem to understand, you are hit with a wave of tentative trust, with a glimmer of hope. Well, that doesn't make you less nervous at all.

Between Arwen's telekinesis and Gaius's strength, it doesn't take long to get Suicune lying on her side on the operating table. “Iris, start the rain. Don't make it storm.” The Dratini squeals, and starts her spiraling dance outside of the canopy. Before long, fat drops of rain patter against the interlocked leaves of the little operating theater. You glance down at a stone basin, full of water that Angelica boiled for you, before allowing it to drop down to slightly over your body temperature. Tweezers, needles, and a spool of Fuzzbutt's thick spider silk float in mid-air within arm's reach, under Arwen's psychic influence. You meet Taylor's eyes, pull on your last pair of gloves from the first aid kit, and nod, gulping.

“Ok, Raid. Give her some sleep powder.” At her trainer's command, the Ivysaur croaks, and a vine snakes out from under her bulb, before sprouting into a bell-shaped flower that slips over Suicune's snout. The legendary Pokemon's eyes go wide, and she almost panics, but you soothe her, stroking her mane and murmuring wordlessly, until her eyes drift shut.

Arwen nods. <She's asleep.>

“Thanks.” You step around to Suicune's side, and pull out your utility knife. “Angelica, sanitize.” The Houndoom breathes out a small puff of flame, and you run the knife through it a few times, before wafting it through the air to cool it. Finally, no further preparations to make, no further delays or excuses, you push down the rising sense of nausea, and start the grisly work of delicately shaving and rinsing away dead and infected flesh.

It takes nearly three hours, and you and Taylor both have to take a few minutes to throw up and recover when you find and drain the infected abscess in Suicune's wound, but when you finally apply a Panacea, you're fairly confident that there aren't any remaining pockets of infection that would fester underneath the writhing, visibly healing flesh. Tully stands by your side, Aura pulsing through his paws as he tries to feel the shape of her healing, to hopefully give him the ability to heal wounds on his own.

< _I think this is working._ > He yips softly. You nod absently. The muscles and broken bones are slowly knitting together, but it's going slowly.

“Maybe. Panacea is really intended for fresh wounds, battle medicine, that kind of thing. It's not working as fast as it did on Arwen.” Taylor comments.

“Better than nothing.” You reply curtly. Over the next few minutes, you watch raw burns gradually subside to angry red weals, muscles slowly regrow over knitting bones, and skin gradually start to draw and knit together, before the healing begins to taper off. “Ok, I think that's all we can do for right now. Let's get her bandaged, then wake her up.”

A few minutes later, after Suicune is wrapped in the last of your bandages, Raid retracts the tentacle keeping her unconscious. The Legendary Pokemon stirs, shifting her weight almost immediately, but doesn't wake.

“Let her sleep.” Taylor whispers, and you smile, before slumping to the ground and stretching out.

“God, that was stressful.”

“Glad it's over, for now.” Your friend replies, rummaging through her pack before grabbing an Oran. You close your eyes, listening to the sound of the rain and the sound of the water flowing and gurgling through Gaius's little fountain. “So, what do we do now?”

You don't reply for a while, getting your thoughts in order, while Angelica curls into your side. Honestly, you're exhausted. You never expected to be performing fucking surgery on a force of nature when you first joined Trainer school. Never thought you'd be trapped in the Amazon. Never thought that you'd be more than just an ordinary Trainer. You sigh. “We fortify. Suicine isn't out of the woods yet. A wound that big is going to need time to heal, even if it's only to the point of being able to move her.”

“Are you planning on taking her with us?” Taylor asks.

“What?” You're honestly surprised.

“You're acting like she's your Pokemon already.” A small chuckle escapes Taylor's thin lips. “I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you hadn't realized.”

“Well… I do like dogs.”

Taylor doesn't stop laughing until Churchill throws a Croconaw's head in the natural archway in the treeline and beckons Gaius to help him drag the rest of it in.

Suicune wakes to the sizzle of a thick slab of Croconaw meat roasting over an open fire, and she eats eagerly when you slice up a hefty chunk of rare meat into bite-size nibbles. She already seems to be feeling better, and while the sky-blue Legendary Pokemon isn't quite able to stand – her muscles on her left side are weak at the moment – she seems more substantial, in a way that's difficult to define. Suicune looks around curiously after a few mouthfuls, her crest bobbing as she looks at the water fountain and channel that your Pokemon had added. As she turns back to you, you see that her left eye is still milky and white, but the faintest hints of blue are now visible, behind the damage. The Legendary dog whines curiously.

“Yeah, we dug that for you. Thought getting some moving water would help you feel better, even if we couldn't move you.”

A quirked ear, then a glance at the treeline with a tilt of the head that is so reminiscent of Angelica that you have to repress a laugh.

“Why stay?” You sober. “I wasn't sure if your brother would return if we left the island.”

Suicune whines, lowering her head to the ground.

“I know.” You stroke her ear tenderly. “It hurts when you lose family. Worse when they turn on you.” Lowering yourself beside the massive dog, you start gently combing your fingers through her voluminous mane. “Do you think he'll come back to finish the job?”

The Legendary Pokemon huffs, a long exhale of breath that causes a small cloud to twist into life before fading into vapor.

“I don't know either. Better safe than sorry.” By the fire, you see Taylor shaking your head, but you ignore her. “Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.” Angelica pads over and sits curled around your back, and you idly scratch behind her horns, before returning your attention to Suicune's mane. The hair flows around your fingers like water, without a single tangle or knot. “Although my definition of worst is going to have to be adjusted now.”

The enormous dog makes a questioning noise, leaning into your touch, and you laugh, dryly.

“We're from thousands of miles away from here, a little place called Brock Town, up in the Northeast United States.” Not that the non-verbal dog would really understand, but it's good to talk it out. “We were teleported nearby by a little pink hairless cat thing.”

A low growl rumbles from deep in Suicune's throat.

“Can't say I disagree.” You sigh, getting a nod from Tully as he pads over to sit cross-legged on Suicune's other side. “Glad we had our camping gear, honestly. It would have been bad if we didn't.” You pause. “Glad Taylor was with me.”

Brutus wanders clumsily up on all fours, dripping with mud, before spitting out a young Basculin in front of Suicune and sitting back on his haunches. She looks down at the fish gasping weakly on the ground, then at the proud Marshtomp, and back at you out of the corner of her eye, before delicately leaning down, and nudging it back to Brutus, who snaps it up eagerly and swallows it whole. You chuckle, and feed her another slice of Croconaw. “Feeling a bit picky, huh?”

Taylor shakes her head again, and you can't help but laugh as Suicune lays her head on your lap and rolls her eyes. Yeah, it looks like you may have made a friend.


	13. Chapter 13

Thunder rolls, a loud, continuous booming like a bag full of bowling balls tumbling down a staircase, the noise cutting through the steady drumming of rain on the leafy canopy over your tent. You jerk upright, limbs tangled in your sleeping bag, paranoia bringing you from fitful slumber to alertness with an uncomfortable lurch. Tully sits at the foot of your tent, crosslegged, paws on his knees. < _Nothing’s here._ > He yips gently.  
  
Letting out a long sigh, you slump back against the uncomfortable roll of fabric that you’re using as a pillow. “Sorry, I...”  
  
< _You’re worried._ > Tully replies. His furry brow wrinkles in thought. < _You don’t think we’re ready._ >  
  
“How can we be ready?” You whisper. “How can we fight a force of nature?”  
  
< _There’s no guarantee that we’ll have to fight the thunderer._ > You snort. Even Tully doesn’t sound convinced.  
  
“I’m not that lucky. You know weird things happen to us.” You mutter. There’s a blue-white flash of lightning close enough that it lights up the interior of your tent for an instant, before thunder cracks. The storm is getting closer.  
  
The Lucario nods his head in reluctant acknowledgment. < _Prepare for the worst, hope for the best._ > He mutters, glancing at the zipped fabric that forms the entrance of the little tent. < _We have the lightning rods up, and Fuzzbutt’s web may help deflect lighting away from the middle of the island. Suicune is nearly healed, and she’s more powerful in person than I could have ever imagined a Pokemon could be._ > Tully sighs, his ears going limp.  
  
“But she’s getting restless, and wants to run free. The stream we carved isn’t enough.” Sitting up, you wrap your arms around your knees.  
  
< _So we let her go._ > Tully gives you a wry canine grin. < _It’s not like you can stop her._ >  
  
You snort. “I know. I just… He beat her once. And I can’t help but worry about what would happen if the embodiment of thunderstorms kills the incarnation of rivers and streams.”  
  
There’s a long silence. < _That could be bad._ >  
  
“Still, you have a point. No point in worrying about what I can’t change.” You sigh. Sleep’s not going to come back at this point. “Thanks, Tully.” You grab your Pokepedia, lying beside your sleeping bag, checking the time as you slip it onto your arm. It’s early in the morning, just before dawn. “Might as well get up.” Lightning cracks, and a roll of thunder follows, loud enough to be nearly deafening. You crawl out of your tent, nudging your way past Tully with a pat on his back. The tents are set up under the canopy that Tully grew, to keep out the worst of the rain, which has grown heavier and heavier as Suicune recovers. As you stand and stretch, you glance over at Taylor, sitting huddled in a wicker chair grown for her by Churchill, bundled up in her sleeping bag like a blanket, the screen of her Pokepedia glinting off her glasses. “It’s storming hard.”  
  
“Yeah.” Taylor mutters, her brow furrowed. She bites her lip, glancing down at the thick handheld computer, then back to you. “We need to work on getting out of here.” She’s tense, like she expects you to argue.  
  
“I agree.” Your friend blinks in surprise. “I got too caught up in survival to worry about getting home.” You scoop up your boots from where they sit beside the entrance of your tent and sit to start putting them on. “And then Suicune...”  
  
“That was an experience.” Taylor’s voice is almost wistful. “I can’t say that I enjoyed it, but it was...” She waves a hand vaguely. “I can’t describe it.”  
  
“We saved her life. It’s a heady thing.”  
  
“That’s it.” Taylor glances out at the rain for a long time. “Did I tell you that Arwen had a breakthrough?”  
  
That’s news to you. “No, you didn’t.”  
  
Taylor gestures to a corner of the pavilion, where a vaguely humanoid plant-type Pokemon hangs suspended, bound in spiderwebs that glint and glimmer in an oddly metallic way. Fuzzbutt sits on the Roselia’s chest, fangs sunk into her grassy body. “You know how she’s been teleporting around with the fruit, to try and keep them intact? She managed it yesterday, several times in a row, so when I pulled her out to keep me company for night watch, she popped over to shore to get a Pokemon to practice with.”  
  
“The Roselia?” You ask.  
  
Taylor nods. “Yeah. It seemed fine when it came over, so I had her give it to Fuzzbutt.” She smiles faintly. “Little guy was hungry.”  
  
You glance back at the tiny Joltic. It looks like it’s about an inch longer than when you saw it last night. “Looks like. So you want to see if Arwen can take one of us with her?”  
  
“Maybe.” Your friend sighs. “I’m concerned. If it goes wrong, then it’s going to be really bad.” She holds up the Pokepedia. You take a look at the image on the screen, and your stomach curdles. “Teleporting can go horribly wrong.”  
  
“That’s...” You gulp. “Where’s the rest of that trainer?”  
  
“Evenly distributed over a four-mile radius.” Taylor’s voice is grim.  
  
“Yeah, let’s be really careful with the teleportation.” You reply quickly, getting a sharp nod in response. The storm surges, the rain that’s already falling in sheets pounding in intense waves. As you peer through the rainfall, in the light of a lightning strike, you see Suicune standing outside of her treetrunk den, watching the pair of you. Her light blue coat seems to nearly glow as she stands to her full height, before slowly padding over to the pavilion. The massive dog-like Pokemon’s gait is smooth and even, muscles playing smoothly under the intricate fractal scars etched in white on her neck and side. “Hello, Suicune. Did we wake you?”  
  
The Legendary Pokemon lets out a low whine, and you smile.  
  
“Feeling antsy, huh?” You reach up and start gently scratching behind her ears. The dog is the size of a horse, with your head only coming up to her shoulder. Suicune leans into your touch. “Can’t say I blame you. I want to go home, too.” She leans down and meets your eye. You take a heartbeat to marvel that her scarred eye, once milky and blind, is the same piercing blue as her other one, although she will always have the marks from her battle. Suicune gives you the impression of running free, full of joy, and you chuckle. “Yeah. It’s always better to be able to move.” A thought occurs. “As long as you have a place to come home to.”  
  
Suicune turns to the stump den with a dismissive snort, before looking back at you, her ears flat. “No, this place has too many bad memories for you, I agree.” You pause for a moment. “But there are lots of little rivers and streams close to where I live.” The dog watches you for a long moment. “Close to my home. When I get there, I can make a spot for you, if you like.” You knead your fingers into Suicune’s mane, and she leans into your touch for a while, before her streamer-like tails writhe around her in happiness. “Suicune, we’re a long way from home. Thousands of miles away.” She whines, and her sorrow rumbles in your chest. “Do you think you can help us?”  
  
Suicune looks at you for a long moment, before stooping to butt her horn crest into your chest gently. Turning, she walks back to her den, before curling up, legs tucked underneath her, watching the rain. You glance over to Taylor, who is watching you with a skeptical, nearly incredulous expression. “I don’t think that was a ‘no’, exactly.” You state wryly.  
  
Your friend doesn’t say anything, just shakes her head and turns back to her Pokepedia. You smile and start throwing together a quick breakfast. As the sun rises and the rain slowly abates from a storm to a steady drizzle, Churchill drops down from where he perched on the roof of the pavilion overnight. “Have a good bask?” The Sceptile, for all his new affinity with the sun, had picked up a plant-like appreciation for rain with his evolution.  
  
{Yes. Slept well, drank deep.} The Sceptile signs with a smile. {Ready leave, go home?}  
  
You nod. “Just have to figure out how.”  
  
Churchill’s ridged brow furrows, and he chews on the stick cigar in his mouth as he ticks off options on his fingers. {Walk far, carry food, tents.} The stick wiggles in his mouth. {Arwen teleport later, not yet.}  
  
“She may be close, but it’s still risky. And I don’t think she can go very far at a time yet.” You chime in, dicing some Tododile tail meat. The pale flesh has the consistency of chicken, and sears quite nicely on a hot pan with some of the spicy fruit that Acey foraged.  
  
{Grow dragons, fly. Or catch big bird Pokemon, train fly.} He suggests.  
  
“That’s probably the safest. But it’s going to take a long time for Iris to get to the point of evolution. She won’t be able to carry me until she’s a Dragonite, and right now she’s just a baby.”  
  
“I think Nibbler is close.” Taylor comments. “He’s starting to shed his skin, after that battle with the Kommo-o.”  
  
“Garchomp are fast fliers, and can carry fairly large weights.” You acknowledge, before looking meaningfully at where Suicune lies, staring off into the east.  
  
{Ride her?} Churchill signs incredulously, before smirking. {Ride the storm home?}  
  
“She’s fast.” You reply. “And I think she can walk on water.”  
  
Taylor’s head snaps over to you. “How can you tell?”  
  
You shrug. “I don’t know. It’s a gut feeling.”  
  
“Are you feeling okay, Rachel?” She whispers, and you nod slowly. “Do you know how weird it is, watching the one-sided conversations that you have with Suicune?” As your mouth opens to reply, Taylor cuts you off. “No, don’t even start. I can hear Tully, that’s fine. I don’t mind Acey’s little emotional broadcasts. But do you know what those conversations remind me of?” Taylor’s finger snaps out to point at Fuzzbutt. “It reminds me of the way I can hear Bug-types.” She sighs. “It worries me.”  
  
Shit. That’s… Yeah, you can see how that might cause her some concern. “I’ve always had a knack with dogs, Taylor.” You eventually reply. “Maybe I can understand them a little better than most.” Taylor shoots you a look. “Hell, I don’t even understand Angelica like I do Suicune.” You blurt out defensively, raising your hands. From her position, lying curled around the cookfire at a distance that would cook anything other than a Fire-type, Angelica looks up and whines. “Sorry, girl.” You look back over to Taylor. “I think it’s like Aura, but more… primal. Images and impressions, rather than words.”  
  
Taylor sighs, and starts rolling up her sleeping bag. “Fine.” She replies shortly.  
  
“Thanks.” You say eventually, after returning to your cooking.  
  
“Why?”  
  
“For worrying.”  
  
“Oh.” There’s a long pause, as Taylor rolls the bundled sleeping bag in her arms. “No problem.”  
  
  
  
A few minutes late, smelling the sizzling Tododile meat, Suicune dismisses the rain with a snort and a deep bark, before wandering over to take a few bites. After you give her a few morsels – she still doesn’t eat nearly as much as a dog her size should – she glances over at the woven arch of trees, where Churchill had erected a barred wooden gate, and whines softly.  
  
“Are you ready to go?” You ask. There’s a huff of air, nearly a bark, and you get the impression of longing. “Let me give you one last checkup.” Suicune bears under your probing fingers patiently, but she has regained full mobility, and nothing seems to be tender or in pain. When you finally stroke her scarred cheek, the Legendary Pokemon nips your fingers gently. “Yeah, I know.” You whisper, tears threatening to well in your eyes. She nods softly, and you step back. Some instinct has you summon your full team, Gaius, Acey, Mab, Iris, and Brutus appearing in flashes of red light. Churchill appears at the gate in a flash and throws it open. You see Taylor pulling her team out as well, and as they appear, Suicune starts walking sedately towards the open gate, and the lake beyond. You follow, drawn by the well of power that looms greater and greater with each soft step.  
  
Suicune walks at a steady pace until she reaches the edge of the lake, before taking one step, then another onto the water, the still liquid as stable as a rock, glowing subtly under her paws. She speeds up as she goes, before breaking into a run, running around the island, curtains of water splashing up in her wake and flowing behind her like ribbons as she runs, lapping the island over and over as she accelerates in a blur of blue and white. A melodious howl erupts, singing a song of joy and freedom, the rapture of the open rivers dancing from rock to rock, the cleansing music of the rainstorm that leaves fresh air in its wake.  
  
As it ends, you blink away the tears that cloud your eyes, and see the Legendary Pokemon standing in front of you. She pads forward and gently nuzzles your cheek with her nose. You wrap your arms around her neck and feel her cold breath on the back of your neck. The cold intensifies, raceing around your throat, and you still. There’s a flare of white light, just below your eye-line, and you pull away, hands going to your neck. You look down and gasp.  
  
A coil of glittering threads of water, woven into an unbroken chain, rests around your neck, each thread twisting and flowing around the next in a tight braid. The necklace of liquid water is cool to the touch, slightly damp, and coils around your fingers in a loop, liquid but never breaking, always changing and shifting before your eyes. At the bottom, hanging from the streams of tangled water, is a pendant of ice, shaped like Suicune’s head and glimmering with an inner light. As you look up to meet Suicune’s eyes, you know, instinctively, that it will never stop flowing, the ice will never melt, that it will always continue, so long as Suicune takes breath. The Legendary Pokemon meets your eyes, bows, and between one breath and the next, disappears in a blur of joyous motion and a spray of foam. You wrap your fingers around the pendant and feel it pulsing with your heartbeat.  
  
  
  
  
It’s done. You succeeded. Against all odds, you helped to heal a wounded goddess, and she left you with a mark of her favor. And now… You feel lost. More lost than you felt when you landed here, thousands of miles from home. Hollow. Some part of you feels… abandoned. Your fingers clench around the icy pendant, and it pulses with reassurance. No. You’ll see her again.  
  
You look to Taylor, wiping the tears from your eyes.  
  
“Let’s go home.”  
  
“Home.” Taylor agrees.  
  
  
  
Naturally, the first step towards going home is packing up and going back to your fortified base camp, dug into the cliff, but by the time nightfall arrives, you’re back in the cozy cave, eating warm stew. You have a base, a foundation for what you need to live. You know the area around you, and vaguely understand what resources are available. What you need now is a strategy, a way to get home.  
  
You need a plan.


	14. Chapter 14

Iris doesn’t want to return to her Capsule, the first night back in the cave. She coils and writhes anxiously through the air, pacing as much as a flying serpent can, before eventually coiling around your shoulders like a cool, smooth scarf – albeit an extremely heavy one - and drifting into a fitful slumber, ear fins twitching. Much to Taylor’s amusement, you don’t have much luck dislodging the Dratini and eventually lay down with a grunt, using her smooth side as a pillow. She’s surprisingly comfortable, and you drift off into a pleasant, unmemorable dream.  
  
You wake up with a jolt and a flash of white light, and panic for a moment when you can’t move your limbs, trapped by heavy coils within your sleeping bag. There’s a sleepy hiss from behind your head, and you twist, to see Iris blinking awake. She’s bigger now, her snout more streamlined and delicate, and more than twice as long as she used to be, powerful coils of pale blue muscle weighing you down. “Ok, you can get off, now.” You murmur, and the Dragonair nuzzles your cheek, before slowly unwrapping from around you. Sitting up, you scratch your head, before turning to glance at where Taylor lies, sleeping in her bed. Arwen and Gaius are on watch, you think, and a quick check of your Pokepedia shows that it’s a couple of hours before dawn.  
  
You glance over at the adolescent serpent, currently coiling through the air in intricate patterns. As a Dratini, she was a chunky snake and seemed a little unusually thick for her body length in retrospect. She didn’t actually gain any diameter, just doubled in length, and it suits her much better. “You look happy, Iris.” At your feet, Angelica cracks one eye open, spots you, and visibly rolls it, before going back to sleep with a kick of her rear paws. Iris trills cheerfully, before flicking her tail as she reverses directions in mid-air, giving you an affectionate headbutt that threatens to drive the wind out of your lungs. You smile, and scratch behind her ear-fins. A short horn, only about an inch or two long, has sprouted in the middle of her forehead, and there’s an odd pearl-like growth underneath her chin. It’s as slick as glass under your questing fingers.  
  
“So, I guess I should ask; can you understand me?” Iris blinks at you, uncomprehending, and you feel a little disappointed. “Ah, well.” The Dragonair coils herself around you in a swift serpentine snuggle, before darting away through mid-air to vanish into the enclosed courtyard.  
  
Smiling, you lay back down and fold your hands behind your head. So, Iris evolved. The forest is full of Pokemon she can fight, to gain experience in combat and siphon their energy – as well as kill and eat, of course – and if you’re lucky and push her hard, you may be able to get her to evolve into Dragonite before too long. The large dragons are notoriously strong fliers, and if Iris can carry you and Taylor in flight… Well, that will be an easy way home. You slip on your Pokepedia, and look over the scans of the infant Tropius you caught, only a few days before. The Pokemon are lighter than they appear, with large lighter-than-air bladders in their chubby bodies that would likely allow them to fly or glide when fully grown… A thought flits into your mind, and you pause, reflecting.  
  
What if you gather up some breeding pairs of the larger dinosaurs to take home, but also to serve as riding mounts for when Iris gets tired? Surely it wouldn’t be too difficult to capture a couple of Aurorus or Bastiodon. Taylor’s team is well-suited to capturing Pokemon without injuring them, between Specter, Raid, Fuzzbutt, and Arwen, and giving her a task that she could apply her skills to would be… cathartic… to the driven girl. Closing your eyes, you drift off to the thoughts of driving a herd of dinosaurs through the hills of Appalachia, riding on the back of a massive Aurorus.  
  
  
  
Once you explain the plan in the morning, Taylor latches onto the idea, as you thought she would. The first hitch in your plan is the limited number of Capsules available. Between the two of you, there are only five of the capture devices remaining, although you can release the infant Tropius, which would give you a total of six Capsules. “I guess we can focus on the Aurorus.” Taylor muses. “We don’t get a lot of Ice-types, especially of that size.”  
  
“Tropius are Grass/Flying, which is pretty rare.” You state, before taking a bite of the scrambled eggs you had cooked, the spicy chunks of Emboar giving the scramble a hint of heat. Needs cheese, though. And you’re not going to think about where Tully had actually found the fist-sized eggs.  
  
Taylor picks apart an Oran, popping the little juicy cells into her mouth one by one as she nods slowly. “Makes sense, I suppose. I’ll see what I can find.”  
  
After breakfast, you release the infant Tropius, who disappears into the underbrush with a distressed bleat, and turn your attention to Iris. “Ok, Iris. Ready to go and pick a few fights?” The Dragonair squeals in delight, spiraling in mid-air, as you venture out into the jungle, Angelica and Tully by your side.  
  
  
  
  
The next few days blend together in a blur of battles and exploration, as Iris grows in leaps and bounds. It seems like every fight, whether she’s blasting a Pignite with a Water gun or calling down lightning strikes on a swarm of Beedrill, she picks up more and more tricks and skills. She’s also growing longer and larger, gorging herself on the Pokemon she kills, until she’s nearly twenty feet long and strong enough to let Tully ride her in flight. The Dragonair sports the widest range of abilities of any of your Pokemon, capable of breathing out plumes of dragon-type fire, high-pressure pulses of water, superheated steam, freezing ice, and even caustic acid, as well as fire bolts of lightning from the stubby horn on her head. Her control over the weather has expanded as well, able to clear an overcast sky, or call together clouds into a raging thunderstorm within just a couple of minutes.  
  
You and your dragon work each other to the bone, day after day, drilling attacks, fighting wild pokemon, and exploring further and further into the rainforest surrounding your camp, only to collapse in exhaustion after nightfall, before starting again in the morning. Eight days after the beginning of your punishing training routine, Taylor catches you before you leave the camp.  
  
“Hey, Rachel. I found something yesterday, but didn’t want to bother you.”  
  
You blink at her, a little blearily – she ran out of tea a couple of days ago. “What did you find?”  
  
Taylor grins. It’s the happiest you’ve seen her in weeks. “I caught a unicorn.”  
  
“What?” Your mind races. A unicorn? There are a couple of different horse pokemon – Ponyta and Mudsdale, although those started out as donkeys, and you think there are some electric types that were formerly zebras. Zebstrika?  
  
“Yeah.” Grabbing a capsule, Taylor releases a pokemon into the clearing. The unicorn is massive, its back and shoulders just about at your eye-level, perfect for riding, with the correct gear, and is colored in a faint pastel purple, with a poofy purple and teal mane. Intelligent blue eyes peer out from under a long, sharp horn. They fall on you, and you could swear that it’s sneering at you. The name slips into your mind.  
  
“That’s a Rapidash...” You muse, glancing over at Taylor. She’s nearly bouncing in glee. “Taylor, are you okay?”  
  
The brunette blinks behind her glasses. “Yeah, why?”  
  
“You’re acting odd.”  
  
“What girl doesn’t wish for a unicorn?”  
  
You pinch the bridge of your nose. “I didn’t.”  
  
“You wanted to keep the incarnation of running water as a pet, let me be excited about a unicorn.” Taylor pouts, and you grin, giving her a nod. “He’s Psychic/Fairy, and intelligent enough that Arwen was able to convince him to come with us. No herd, but Dad knows a guy with a conventional Rapidash ranch, and well...” Taylor blushes a bit. “I thought that he might like being used for stud.”  
  
“Well, if he’ll work with you.” You reply cautiously. “Give him a name?”  
  
“I call him Ascalon. Watched him take down a Kommo-o solo before we captured him.”  
  
“Right...” You look Ascalon in the eye, and he gives a horsey snicker. “So I guess you want him to be your land mount. Any luck with the others?”  
  
Taylor nods and holds out her Pokepedia. “Yeah. Caught a couple of Tropius that should be big enough to ride, and a pair of adolescent Aurorus that don’t seem to be related. I was planning on working on getting them imprinted and ready to ride over the next few days.” She takes a deep breath and gives you an honest grin. “We’re going home soon.”  
  
You can’t help but return the smile. “Yeah. Iris is really growing, so hopefully, we can ride her soon, and we’ll have those as a backup.”  
  
Your friend’s smile flattens slightly. “Still have to find a way home.”  
  
“We’ll take that step when we come to it.”  
  
  
  
The next few days are filled with training and preparation, as you push Iris harder and harder, trying to get her to evolve to the next stage, become a massive Dragonite so that she can carry your entire party. You’re becoming increasingly sure that she is on the verge of sapience, but simply too happy-go-lucky to really care about communicating. She seems to understand nearly everything you say, so the ability to give her complex commands is quite useful. Still, even as Taylor alternates between smoking meat from your hunts and training the over-sized pokemon she captured to accept riders, you find your self feeling a creeping sense of doom.  
  
The weather is turning sour. Every day is darker and more heavily overcast, clouds piling up further and further, making the atmosphere hot and humid. Despite that, it doesn’t rain, even resisting Iris’s storm dances. The distant rumble of thunder and muted flash of lightning soon become constant, grating on your nerves. Your team is affected badly too, Tully jumping at each strike of lightning that seems a little closer than the rest, Churchill scowling at the overcast sky and nearly biting through his cigar stump. Even Iris is on edge, lashing out and hissing angrily when the skies refuse to bend to her whim.  
  
“I don’t like this, Taylor.” You murmur, sitting beside your friend as she stitches chunks of cured Drowzee leather together into a crude saddle, stuffed with carefully dried and packed grass.  
  
“Yeah. It’s bad out there. When the storm stops building…”  
  
You pack the last of your medical supplies a little tighter into their pouch, frowning at the last remaining scraps of bandage. “What if it’s her brother?”  
  
Taylor freezes mid-stitch, the thick needle that Gaius shaped for her trembling between her fingers. “Her brother.”  
  
“The storm. It’s not behaving naturally.” You reply slowly. “Suicune warped the world around her. It didn’t rain nearly as much once she left. Her brother had the power of storms. Could he be causing… this?” Your question is punctuated by a crack of thunder.  
  
“Fuck.” Taylor breathes. “That makes too much sense.” She glances around the dug-out cave that had sheltered you for nearly a month. “We have to _go_.” Her eyes fall on you, panicking, as she drops the needle. Arwen darts in, resting one slim hand on your friend’s shoulder.  
  
<It’s okay, it’s okay.> The Gardevoir coos gently, pulling Taylor into a hug. <Don’t panic, we will be well.> Slowly, Taylor relaxes into her Pokemon’s embrace. Arwen glances at you, her eyes narrowing, and you feel a faint fuzz, like mental static. Arwen’s white skin manages to blanch further. <thethunderer? no no no>  
  
“I hope not.” You reply. “But it’s what makes sense.”  
  
“Tomorrow. We leave tomorrow.” Taylor states.  
  
You nod emphatically. Lightning cracks like a gunshot, and you jump, before the boom of thunder fills the cave. Arwen’s head snaps towards the doorway, her face twisting in horror. <no!>  
  
From outside, Tully howls. < _RACHEL!_ >  
  
You leap to your feet, Angelica at your heels, and freeze at the doorway. There, standing in the ruins of the far wall of your compound, is a massive Pokemon the resembles a saber-toothed tiger, it’s yellow and black coat sparking and snapping as lightning crackles in the late afternoon clouds overhead. Its armored head is lowered angrily, long fangs glinting with reflected light as a storm-cloud of a mane billows over its back. Behind it, a bolt of blue-white lightning lashes like a tail. The air is heavy, laden with static. You feel your hair standing on end as your hand dips to the capsules at your waist. Before you, Tully stands, paw outstretched. < _Peace! We mean no harm!_ > He barks, but you can hear the terror in his voice.  
  
The tiger roars, the thunder in his voice mirrored by the sky above, and - driven by some instinct - you clutch at the amulet that Suicune gave you, the angles jabbing into your palm. Lightning crashes around your compound, and flames lick into life, trees burning like torches. “No.” You whisper. It won’t end like this. There’s a faint noise in the distance, that builds into a howling crescendo as a wave of sheer noise buffets you.  
  
The skies open. Rain falls in a sheet, heavy as a waterfall, and crashes down on you, soaking you to the bone instantly. From over the cliff, Suicune leaps to the ground with a howl of rage, standing between you and her mad brother. The thunder cat snarls, and you feel your lips curl to match.  
  
You may die here.  
  
But you’ll die on your feet.


	15. Chapter 15

Lightning cracks like the sound of a whip, and before you have a chance to open your mouth, The great cat - Raikou, his aura finally bellows - lunges for you, nearly too fast for your eye to follow. Gaius intercepts him, bolts of electricity crackling over his metal armor from Acey, perched on his shoulder. He swings at the legendary pokemon with a metallic howl, and Raikou leaps out of the way, only for Suicune to barrel into his side like a crashing wave, her form wreathed in water and frost. “Gaius, Acey, keep the lightning off us!” you bellow, as Taylor’s Pokemon join the fray, Nibbler lunging, wing-claws wreathed in muddy brown Ground-type energy.  
  
Raikou dances around its swipes casually, almost disdainfully. Yes, they could harm him, but he was as far above the dragon type as the storm is above the trees. Raikou roars, and his form is wreathed in blue-white lightning that explodes outward, blowing all the Pokemon around him back in a wave of physical force. With a rodent scream of effort, Acey diverts the wave around Gaius, but Nibbler is too slow, and the thunder tiger’s attack slams him into the side of the cliff. “Brutus, Iris, Mab, Hinder his movements, attack at range!” At your command, Brutus sinks into the ground, his powerful limbs throwing up a small berm of earth in front of him, before starting to spit thick globs of mud at Raikou, the cat dodging them contemptuously. With a swirl of her tails, Mab calls the water vapor up into a mist, roiling and billowing in the tumultuous rain, and practically disappears, needles of transparent ice flicking out from all directions at your foe.  
  
Suicune glances at you, before vanishing in a blur of speed, the wind of her passage whipping the water surrounding you into a tempest, mist and rain billowing and freezing in a battering gale that slams into Raikou in a hail of freezing sleet that leaves his stormy mane crackling with static. He lunges at Suicune with a snarl, only to slip as his paw lands on a patch of freezing mud.  
  
< _Orders?_ > Tully barks from your side.  
  
“Skirmish. Stay back, don’t get close. He’s too fast for close combat.” Churchill and Angelica nod in turn, and the cigar in the Sceptile’s mouth morphs into a blowgun with a flash of green light.  
Raikou’s head snaps over to you, only for a bolt of swirling back energy, sent by Taylor’s Misdreavous, to slap the side of his face, followed by a blue-white scythe of aura energy from Tully that clips off some of his cloudy mane, only for it to reform like a cloud. He whirls with a yowl like a tesla coil, and Gaius is there, his massive bulk slamming into the side of the great cat in a heavy shoulder-check, the blunt blade on his shoulder driving into the cat’s side with an audible crunch. Raikou tumbles, and Suicune pounces with a melodic howl, her fangs wreathed with frost. The great cat twists on the ground, tangling her teeth in his mane, and with a scream of fury, a bolt of lightning slams down out of the heavens onto his form in a crash of thunder that knocks you off your feet from the impact of the sound alone.  
  
As you blink away the spots from your vision, Gaius bugles in pain, and you hear a howl of fury from Angelica, followed by the distinctive sound of her Blowtorch attack. With a meaty smack and the crunch of bone, you’re knocked prone by your tumbling Starter. “Angelica!” You yelp, trying to move your loyal Houndoom off of you. You can barely see, blue and white shapes filling your vision as the sounds of battle continue, but Angelica isn’t moving. Pushing yourself up, your fingers race over her head and body. She’s bleeding. Her horn… one of her horns was torn off, bleeding from the marrow. She’s breathing. But… Your fingers rest on her collar, on the Dusk stone, resting at the nape of her throat. It’s beating beneath your fingers in time with her heart.  
  
Tully appears behind you in a blur of blue. < _He’s too fast!_ > He yelps. < _Gaius is down, and nothing we do has any effect!_ >  
  
Your lips curl into a snarl, and the stone beneath your fingers quickens, burning with your rage. No. Not like this. No overgrown cat is going to beat you, not like this. Flames flicker under Angelica’s fur, and her eyes open, blazing with fury. She gets to her feet, wreathed with black flame, her bone armor growing and curling around her as her muscles expand, twisting around her into a pair of spears, curling forward like the prongs of some demonic bull. Angelica howls, and her voice reverberates like the call of hell, every eye drawn to her figure, as rain sizzles off the flames of her fury.  
  
With a snarl and a flash of black fire, Angelica charges, plunging her horns into Raikou’s ribs, Suicune body-checking him on the other side as the Houndoom tears out her natural weapons with a toss of her head. Brutus nails him in the mouth with a glob of sticky mud, even as the burning motes of one of Arwen’s Fairy attacks and plumes of Iris’s dragonfire pour down on the legendary Pokemon. Your heart catches in your chest as Raikou disappears for a moment. And then lightning comes down again, and the blast knocks your pokemon back in a tumble of bodies. When the spots fade, Raikou stands, panting, unwounded.  
  
Suicune charges him again, and a bolt of lightning lashes out, only the swerve of Acey intercepting and dragging it away keeping her from electrocution. Raikou turns to look at you. You push yourself to your feet, gritting your teeth, snarling to match Angelica as she circles the great cat. With a toss of his head, Raikou dodges Churchill’s shots at his eye, then flickers in a burst of speed, sending Arwen flying with a paw swipe, crackling with electricity. Angelica sweeps in from behind, fangs glowing with black fire as she lunges for Raikou’s tendons, aiming to cripple him, only to collapse as the cat’s lightning tail lashes out and leaves her trembling on the soaked ground.  
  
You scream wordlessly in fear and rage, and take a step closer. In front of you, Brutus spews a fountain of mud at Raikou, but the cat casually sidesteps the stream, disappearing in a brilliant flash of light. When you open your eyes from your instinctive flinch - He’s right there. In front of you. You meet the cat’s mad red eyes unflinchingly, fists clenched. Tully lunges in, and a snap of electricity throws him back. Churchill swings a wooden claymore, edge guttering with faint golden light, and the great cat bats it away with a great paw, not even breaking eye contact. He’s playing with you. He could kill you all now. A surge of electricity sublimates Suicune’s blast of water into steam.  
  
“No.” You whisper. “NO!” A shout this time. Raikou snarls, jowls curling over sabertooth fangs. Your fists clench. Your dragonhide armor creaks, and as you spot Angelica, lying still in the rain, muscles trembling from the effort to rise, some tiny part of you snaps. “FUCK YOU!” You scream, and punch Raikou in the snout.  
  
The cat rears back, blinking furiously, then crackles with electricity, only for Acey to interpose herself, absorbing the bolt in a nimbus of golden light that she immediately returns as a basketball sized orb of lightning that Raikou casually bats away. Iris swoops in, virulent green acid sublimating off the electricity running through the great cat’s fur, but it’s enough to divert his attention as Suicune lunges for him, glowing with frost. He tumbles with a yowl and slams into the cliff wall, and as he’s down, Brutus finally nails him with a massive glob of mud that shorts out Raikou’s aura with a faintly amusing _plarp_ , leaving him open for Nibbler, finally recovered, to lunge in with muddy brown claws.  
  
Raikou screams.  
  
Thunder falls, in a bar of blue-white lightning as wide as your compound.  
  
{I come!}  
  
There’s no pain, really. You have the abstract feeling that there should be. You’re lying on the ground, after all. Or, at least, that’s what your body is telling you. Pressure on your back, less on your front. Your eyes are open, at least. Not that they’re doing you any good. All you see is blurs and intense light, flaring in colors beyond imagination or description. You blink. No change. There’s a presence. Mad. Well, insane. And angry. So angry. Raikou.  
  
He stalks closer. You want to get up, but your body won’t respond, your muscles trembling. This should hurt, your brain insists. It doesn’t. Your vision clears, slowly, and you see the great cat looming over you. He leans down and meets your eyes, and there, for the slightest hint of a moment, you see a flash of regret, before it’s buried by a tide of rage and pain. He raises a paw, lightning crackling between his claws, and as he lowers it towards your face, you think you see, beyond his shoulder, a light in the clouds.  
  
{Too late. Sorrow.}  
  
It disappears, and the pain returns, sending you into oblivion.


	16. Epilogue

Ethan stared at his glass, swirling the amber liquid inside as he slumped over the table in his tiny cabin, prosthetic hand laying on the scarred wooden surface. Two months. The wind howled outside, snow falling in wet, heavy clumps outside the dark windows. The Ranger’s eyes darted to the ones of his fiance, immortalized in a picture frame hanging on the wall. Two months since the best rookie trainer he’d seen in years disappeared off the face of the earth. He took a sip, reveling in the burn.  
  
“It’s a shame.” Colin muttered from across the table. “They had potential.” He’s shed his perpetual lab coat, leaving him in a neat polo and slacks, but his beard is less precisely trimmed than normal, and there are bags under his eyes from a lack of rest. He sips from his own glass and grimaces.  
  
“She’s not dead.” Ethan growled. “Too damn stubborn.”  
  
“Sometimes that doesn’t mean a thing.” Colin shrugged, then sighed. “Trainers disappear all the time.”  
  
“Without a trace? One minute they were on the path, the next, nothing. You said it yourself, the only thing that could have done it was a mass teleport.” Ethan snorted. “And you know as well as I that we’re more likely to find the remains of Trainers than have them disappear utterly.” Another sip. Savor the glass, he’s not going to dring another. He’s fallen into drink once before and only barely managed to climb out.  
  
After a long silence, Colen took another sip. “The Iron Lady’s going to sign the paperwork tomorrow.” His face twisted. “Are you going to come back?”  
  
“Not if she’s being declared dead.” Ethan deflated. “I… I can’t…”  
  
“I understand.” Colin tossed back the last of his alcohol. “What will you do?”  
  
Ethan didn’t answer. Something in the sound of the wind outside has shifted. He turned to face the door. “Do you hear that?”  
  
Colin’s brow furrowed. “What?”  
  
 _Whump_  
  
Ethan’s eyes went wide. “Wings.” The soft sound of snow stopped, and light glows from outside, like the sun rising at midnight.  
  
 _Whump_  
  
Hurling himself to his feet, Ethan only stumbled slightly as he grabbed his Exploud’s Capsule from the countertop, lunging for the door. Throwing it open, he stared, gaping, at the sight before him.  
  
There, shining like a sun in the night sky, the snowclouds parting around it in a halo like an old cathedral painting, descends a massive bird, each flap of its great wings shining and glinting with a prismatic sheen of colors. As it descends, each wingbeat sending snow flurries blasting out of the way, the scale of the thing becomes apparent - its red-feathered body the size of a school bus, with a wingspan as wide as a passenger jet. A crest of bright golden feathers rises over intelligent eyes that do nothing to disguise the sharpness of a beak that is easily as tall as Ethan himself.  
  
He should be terrified. He should run. Maybe it’s the alcohol, maybe it’s the culmination of all the bizarre realities of this new world that he’s lived in for his entire life, maybe it’s something about this great bird’s eyes and the way it feels like a summer day in the middle of December, but he stands firm and straight, nodding politely at the great phoenix as it lands in the street in front of his home, tailfeathers sizzling as they land in the snowbank. The bird - and how odd that he hasn’t had its name slip into his mind already - nods in return, and crouches down, shifting its wings, as someone slides off its back.  
  
Rachel stumbles slightly as her boots hit the pavement, but she turns and reaches up to catch the slender form of Taylor as she slides off the bird’s back in turn, a Gardevoir popping into existence by her other side and reaching out to steady the brunette. Rachel turns to Ethan, and a weary smile twists one corner of her mouth. “Hey.” She croaks. Ethan’s heart catches in his throat at the sight of her face - a trio of broad claw marks have ravaged the left side of her face, gouging out one eye, leaving red, angry lightning marks tracing down her neck. “I’m back.”  
  
Her Lucario and Sceptile drop down beside their mistress, and the massive bird bends its neck down beside Rachel as she reaches up to scratch behind its crest. “Thank you, Ho-oh.” She whispers, and turned back to her mentor.  
  
“Wha - bird - How?” Ethan splutters, noticing the flash of a camera from behind him as Colin, ever the scientist, takes a picture of the Ho-oh.  
  
“It’s a long story.” Taylor mumbles from beside her partner, her left arm clutching her right shoulder - and Ethan notices with a sinking heart that the arm ends just above the elbow, leaving only a tied sleeve.  
  
“What matters is we’re home.” Rachel states firmly, and then her statement seems to hit her, and she sways. “We’re home.” Tears glisten in her eye, and Tully places his paw on her shoulder comfortingly.  
  
Ho-oh takes off with a flap of its powerful wings, and as it soars away, Ethan finds himself with his arms wrapped around the rookie trainer. “Yeah. You’re home.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is a non-voting archive of an active quest, located on Sufficient Velocity. If you like the story, please pop over and join in here: https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/pokemon-bet-the-lost-world.55871/


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